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"The earnest desire of succeeding, 
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1885. 






SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTUBE. 



V> 



'^* 



^DEDICATIONS 



To my Brother Bee-Keepsrs who are now striving to 
add to the comfoits of those they love, through the pro- 
duction of Bees and Honey, this little work is earn- 
estly dedicated by the 

AUTHOR. 



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SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 




I FEB 



INTRODUCTION. 

For a number of years past I have been frequently solicited and often 
urged to write a treatise upon practical bee-culture ; but lack of the neces- 
sary time for performing such a task, has hitherto prevented. I had 
hoped, however, that an opportune time would come, when, free from 
business cares, I might comply with this oft-repeated request. In the 
steady, changeless lapse of time, the years have come and gone, and this 
dream has not materialized, with no prospect of a suitable opportunity for 
such a consumation ; and so at intervals, amid the pressing cares of busi- 
ness I have here and there, jotted down some facts and thoughts pertain- 
ing to our pursuit, which, I trust, may not be without value to those for 
whom they have been written. In the delineation of methods of manage- 
ment, and of implements and devices, appertaining thereto, it has been 
my constant aim to present such only as will approximate uniform and 
unvarying success, as nearly as possible, when the requisite conditions 
have been complied with, and thereby obviate the disappointments and 
vexatious losses, resulting from the complicated and impracticable in both 
management and utensils. (In short, the instruction herein given, is from 
the dollar and cent basis— the financial results to accrue therefrom, and 
not from the vagaries and inconsistencies of empiricisms, aiming to pre- 
sent the new and useful rather than mere repetition of the old. I have 
not aimed in these pages, to treat of all the minor points pertaining to our 
pursuit, but have endeavored to elucidate those that are vital to our suc- 
cess, many of which I believe have not hitherto received their due share 
of attention; hence it is not claimed to be a work especially adapted to 
the beginner in apiculture. Firmly believing that our ranks are already 
sufficiently full, for the welfare of the fraternity, I have written more 
especially to promote the success of those already possessing some knowl- 
edge of bee management, than to persuade the addition of recruits ; and, 
to the attainment of this end, have traversed some hitherto neglected 
fields, in the interest of the specialist. I have earnestly sought to be of 
some service to this class, in a way I think neglected by my predecessors 
in apj.stical li terature . 

This little .book is not designed to take the place of any of the excel- 
cent works upon apiculture that we already possess, but rather to supple- 
ment them in such themes as seem to have been inadequately treated, 
from the standpoint of my own experience. )lt has been well said that 
"a house that contains a library has a soul." Our pursuit borders upon 
the professional, more so, perhaps, than most of the business avocations, 
and yet all the books devoted to bee-culture, combined, do not make a 
tithe of the professional library. We need them all to direct xts in the path- 
way that leads .. to success. I have aimed to make this pathway less 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



obscure, by specialty in treatment of such themes as my own experience 
has demonstrated to be vital to success in honey production— the ultimate 
end of bee-culture. I have only briefly touched natural history, etomol- 
ogy, botany and kindred topics which are so ably and fully elucidated by 
Professor A. J. Cook, in his " Bee-Keepeks' Guide " and in Mr. Thomas 
G. Newman's "Bees and Honey." I know of no work upon bee-cul- 
ture, however unpretentious, but that is worth many times its cost to the 
owner of an apiary, be its number of colonies ever so small. 

In this attempt at embodying some of my ideas and conclusions in 
book form, forced upon me by a somewhat varied and extended experi- 
ence, I cannot hope nor. expect to escape criticism: I do not desire it. T 
court the fullest investigation and all honest criticism from any and every 
source. But, before condemning its recommendations I would most res- 
pectfully suggest a thorough and impartial trial of the same. Remember 
that everything herein given based upon my experience, whether of meth- 
od or device, has been a success with me, and will succeed equally well 
in the hands of all, if directed by even a moderate degree of tact and 
skill. While excluding all advertisements from the covers of this book, I 
have freely recommended such goods, belonging to others, as have proven 
of value, in my own apiaries, having given in every instance manufactur- 
er's address ; and have thus endeavored to keep the interest of the apiarist 
paramount, regardless of other considerations. In this connection I wish, 
to acknowledge my indebtedness to a member of the bee-keeping fratern- 
ity, who has rendered valuable assistance in the preparation of this vol- 
ume. Being conversant with each other's operations, and having conduct- 
ed much the same line of experiments through a series of years, accounts 
in a great measure, for the similarity of our conclusions respecting the 
essential problems with which we have had to deal. As he is some- 
what averse to publicity, I shall speak of him in the following pages 
as "My Friend." His lucid style, careful observation and thorough 
knowledge of the business, will, I feel sure, be at once conceded by the 
reader. In addition to those specially mentioned throughout these pages 
to whom I feel indebted for valuable ideas and devices, and outside of my 
own experience of seventeen years of practical life in the apiary, I wish 
to express my deep sense of gratitude for ideas and suggestions received 
from any and every source, whether from members of the fraternity in 
social converse or at bee-conventions or from books or periodicals devoted 
to practical bee-culture. I wish to give full credit here in order to save 
both repetition and space in the body of the work itself. 

In writing a practical work for the guidance of my brother bee-keep- 
ers, I refer with pardonable pride to the fact that my financial succes-s has 
been attained entirely within the domain of bee-culture ; that in this little 
book I have laid down a definite, tangible system of management perfect- 
ly adapted to either the perfected movable frame, or those now in general 
use. In doing this I have not aimed at immediate popularity, but rather 
for the welfare of those who need assistance and for whom I have strug- 
gled for the past ten years, confident that the future will fully verify my 
position. 

Hastily and imperfectly written, with no attempt at elegance of diction, 
flowery sentences or rounded periods, but simply to direct those who are 



SUCCESS IN BEE- CULTURE. 




striving to earn an honest livelihood with bees, to better results, this lit- 
tle unpretentious work is submitted by the author. 

JAMES HEDDON, 

Powagiac, Mich. 



9 1899 ' 



PREFACE. 

There seems to be a growing tendency of late years, for authors of 
books upon practical subjects to begin by apologizing for the performance 
of such a work. In this respect I must differ, inasmuch as I have no 
apologies to offer. None are needed. No man who has a truth to tell, 
that needs to be told, should apologize for its utterance. This " apology 
business," as I view it, implies also, a supposed excellent performance by 
the author — a position having conceit for its basis and superstructure. Ic 
does not suit me, and if expected by the public, I beg to be excused. 

There are three motives that are claimed to actuate the author in the 
production of a book, pertaining to the affairs of life : 

1. The philanthropic, wliich excludes self, and simply seeks to bene- 
fit others. 

2. The purely selfish, which does not consider the welfare of the 
reader, but only desires self-aggrandizement. 

3. The belief that there may be an open field for mutual benefit— a 
pecuniary advantage to both author and reader. To this latter class 1 be- 
long. I do not, for one moment, wish it to be understood, that self-inter- 
est has been entirely laid aside ; but while my own interests are advanced, 
I hope to enhance the reader's, also. In the very nature of things, a book 
of practical value mast be mutually aivautageDus. This is my hope and 
desire — the future will determine its fruition. 

I trust I may say without egotism, that my efforts in the past to make 
honey production as a specialty reasonably remunerative, have been fairly 
successful. The eager questioning that has resulted from this, respect- 
ing both method and device to secure favorable financial results, has con- 
vinced me that success, or the lack of it, in honey production, vitally 
affects the " bread and butter " question,, with many others as well as my- 
self. To this class I have addressed myself, with whatever degree of 
ability I may possess, earnestly hoping to be of some service in lightening 
their anxieties and burdens in the journey of life. 

To oft-repeated inquiries I have replied—" I will write a book upon 
bee-culture, when the wintering problem has been solved." The disas- 
trous losses in wintering have, hitherto, rendered our pursuit an extra haz- 
ardous one ; but a perusal of the chapter on " Wintering" will show the 
reader, that at last, I feel confident that we stand upon solid ground. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



If there be any one branch of apiculture in which I feel proficient, it 
is the mechanical. To this subject in general, and hives hi particular, I 
have devoted almost unremitting thought and constant experiment. . My 
zeal to secure a hive that would be as nearly automatic as possible, requir- 
ing the least possible amount of manipulation, simplifying and systema- 
tizing the labors of the apiarist and enable him to attain the best aggre- 
gate results in honey production, is fully attested by almost numberless 
castaways in my museum of condemned hives. But I am happy to add, that 
the dreams and hopes of over eighteen years, seem now to be realized. 
See chapter on hives. 

"He who steals bread may have an excuse, but he who purloins the 
ideas and inventions of another, is a thief by nature." In this sentiment I 
fully concur, and I have endeavored to give due credit to any and every 
source from which I have drawn. If there are any exceptions to this, it 
is simply an oversight, for which I will be thankful for correction. 

In the performance of this not altogether self-imposed task, I have 
endeavored to faithfully and impartially maintain what I conceive to be 
the right, regardless of individual interests. Whenever the interest of the 
individual has clearly seemed to me to run counter to that of the fratern- 
ity, I have not hesitated to criticise, fairly and judicially, I trust ; where 
the interest of the individual promotes that of the public, I have tried to 
freely accord merited praise. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



CHAPTER I. 

Bee-Keeping as a Business. 

Perhaps there is no branch of agriculture about which there has been 
entertained so much superstition, as concerning apiculture. 

The days of ignorance and false notions concerning bee-keeping, more 
especially its results, are by no means past. When I began the business 
as a specialist, fifteen years ago, I was told by many friends and neighbors 
that I certainly could not succeed in making a living from the results of 
"bees." "The bee business!" "The bug business!" Numerous were the 
instances of failure of " my father, down in Ohio;" " Uncle Levi, in New- 
York state;" " A cousin of mine back in Pennsylvania," etc., etc., offered 
to encourage me on my lonely way, for at that time I was, I think,, the 
only specialist in Michigan, and there was hardly enough of us in the 
United States to make a quorum. Since that time many have demonstra- 
ted that with natural tact, and a knowledge of the theory and practice . of 
the pursuit, honey producing can be made a business, capable of support- 
ing liim who embarks in it. 

Some of our brotherhood who had much more imagination and en- 
thusiasm, than practical knowledge of the business, used to tell us that 
" bees work for nothing and board themselves." We have also heard that 
" farming is the best of all avocations." " Crops grow nights and Sundays, 
when the farmer is asleep." That "all one needs to do, is to get some 
ground, just run a plow through it, drop in the kernels of corn ; when they 
sprout, tickle said sprouts a little with a hoe, and go out in autumn when 
the glorious sun is shining and gather in the golden ears." Both stories 
have some truth in them, and I leave you to guess, how much. In all 
lines of production, conditions seem to have been so fixed that the pro- 
ducer must earn all he gets. That nearly every new invention, by means 
of which pain and cost of production are lessened, redounds in most part, 
to the interest of the consumer, by lessening the price of the. article pro- 
duced. I will call your attention to one such instance in our own business- 
Take the honey extractor, for instance. The product when properly 
handled, was found to be excellent, and for one or two years brought in 
market, nearly, or quite as much as honey in the comb. This condition of 
affairs soon ended, the price in latter years being steady at just one-half 
of that of comb honey in the general markets. 

Allow me to go back long enough to tell you that those friends who 
advised me to keep out of the "bug business," saying that it could not be 
made a business, made one other equally sad mistake at the same time. 
They' said: "O! You can keep a few colonies in your yard for your 
own use, with pleasure and profit." Now, do you not know from the ex- 



8 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

penence of the past, that less pleasure and profit has been derived from 
the " few colonies of bees "kept on the farm, than from any other branch of 
mixed husbandry, when taken all in all, one year with another ? I think 
I know that this is a fact, as a rule. Before the advent of modern improve- 
ments, there was more reason for the " few colonies for our own use " than 
at present, because honey producing as a successful specialty, was well 
nigh impossible, while under the present regime — scarcely any business 
under the sun is better adapted to, or more necessarily confined to special- 
ty, when looked at in a dollar and cent point of view. A large part of the 
necessary capital and labor must be of, and devoted to, mechanics, and in 
all this line has specialty done so much for us, that we are tempted to ask 
the counter-storekeeper, where he stole those articles on the five, ten and 
twenty-five cent counters. 

Let us pause to consider the great advantages of specializing, not only 
in apiculture, but any line of business. Let me quote from Mr. T. B. 
Terry, of Hudson, Ohio; a clear thinker and forcible writer, and one who 
has gained a world-wide reputation, as well as a competency, as a special- 
ist in potato culture : 

" The day has passed when there is any necessity for such a diversity of 
crops — when it is necessary for a man to raise almost everything he waiits, 
on his own farm. It was necessary once, when the country was new, and 
there were no railroads markets, and not much money ; but now 
let it go, to a certain extent, along with the stage-coach and scythe, and 
let us improve in this respect as much as we have in our means of com- 
munication and in our agricultural implements. And we are improving. 
For example, look at the cattle-raisers on the great plains, the wheat- 
growers of the Northwest, and the corn-farmers of the West. These men 
are specialists, and they are sadly crowding the old mixed farming of 
Ohio and the East. And it is being gradually crowded at home by enter- 
prising specialists, such as the fruit-grower, the dairyman, and the mar- 
ket farmer. 

When I speak of the potato-grower as a specialist I do not mean 
that he should grow just potatoes and nothing else, but, rather, that he 
should make that his leading crop — his main source of income. Other 
crops must be grown with them, of course, to make up a rotation and to 
keep the land up by having something to feed out to stock. 

That pithy little paper, Our Country Home, expresses just my 
views on the subject of specialties. Let me quote a few lines : 

' Division of labor is one of the grandest ideas of this grand nineteenth 
century, and it is just as grand on the farm as it is in the factory or work- 
shop, in business, art, or scholarship. This world is too big for one man 
to do all that there is to be clone in it, or to compass its entire store of 
knowledge. " That it is better to do one thing at a time, and do it well," 
is truer to-day than ever before, and as true on the farm as off from it. 
Find out what you and your farm can do best, and then do it, but don't 
try to do everything. You can't be a market-gardener and a mxile-raiser 
at the same time, and expect to achieve eminence in either direction. 
You need not expect to grow potatoes as does Terry, and steers as does 
Gillette, on the same land, and arrive at the distinction from which they 
now complacently look down on common mortals. Vick would never 
have been Vick, had he undertaken to grow pork and, flower-seed together. 
Take your text, and stick to it. Choose your branch of farming, and fol- 
low it up ; so shall you prosper.' 

Now for some reasons why the large grower of potatoes, who makes 
this his chief business, can make more money. First, he can afford to 
have all the tools that are made for saving labor, and taking the best of 
care of the crop, and marketing it in nice shape, such as a planter, smooth- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



ing harrow, special cultivators and horse-hoes, bushel boxes, spring-wag- 
ons, etc. The man who raises only two or three acres cannot afford all 
these expensive labor-saving tools, and therefore cannot make as much 
money for he cannot put in or care for his crop as cheaply, nor can he 
market it in as nice shape. Again, the specialist can not only have the 
advantage of all the best tools, but, what is still more important, he can 
use them just when they ought to be used, as that is his business, and 
there is nothing else to interfere. With a great variety of crops to care 
for, and perhaps a dairy besides, this is often quite impossible. There 
are times, in this locality, when a single day's work with the whole farm 
force, each man with a cultivator and horse, just exactly at the right time, 
would be of very great advantage to the crop— possibly almost the mak- 
ing of it. The specialist can put in that day's work. Also the large grow- 
er has a chance to concentrate most of his energies and study in one direc- 
tion, rather than scatter them thinly in many directions. Instead of be- 
ing a Jack at all' trades, and particularly good at none, he can have a, 
chance to excel in one direction. If he will improve that chance, and 
push his specialty to the utmost, he will find that it not only pays in dol- 
lars and cents, and develops his thinking faculties, and makes more of a 
man of him, but he will get rid of a great deal of the worry, as well as loss, 
of having too many irons in the fire. ***** 

We buy everything we want, except potatoes, milk, and a little garden 
stuff. We do not fuss to make our butter, even, but rather eat the cream 
on berries which some specialist has raised (of course, we raise our own 
hay for the horses and cows). There isn't a pig nor a chicken, a calf nor 
a colt, a bee-hive, a sheep, nor even a dog on my place ; so you see I prac- 
tice what I preach— or, rather, I am preaching what I have practiced for 
years, and found to be the easiest way for me to make a good living with 
the least worry, from my farm, and I find it the pleasantest way too. 
There is a pleasure about doing one's level best, as the specialist has a 
chance to do, and then the profits are great. Could any man living sup- 
port a medium-sized family, and live comfortably, pay his hired help 
liberally, and all other running expenses, and get ahead over a thousand 
dollars a year, actual cash saved, from thirty-six acres of plow land and 
nineteen acres of poor pasture, by following ordinary mixed farming? I 
couldn't. I could hardly live, let alone getting ahead any. * * * 

' You mustn't have your eggs all in one basket.' But those words do 
not scare me at all. That saying belongs to the days when Ohio was the 
' Far West,' and it took almost all summer to go out there and back. If a 
man raised too much of one thing, then he was in a bad fix on account of 
the poor facilities for exchanging, and the lack of markets and the scarci- 
ty of money. But, how different it is now ! The whole world is one mar- 
ket to-day.' We can sell almost any thing for cash, and with the cash we 
can buy almost any thing we want, right at our doors. 

Of course, we specialists must expect reverses — all kinds of business 
are subject to them ; but my experience has been, thus far, that the re- 
verse years, or years when the crop was almost a failure, were the years 
when I made the most money. Why ? Simply because I had just that 
one thing to do, and I did it. I looked out for the eggs that were all in 
one basket. The men with eggs in many baskets said, ' ISTever mind if 
we do drop one or two ; we will get through with some of them.' I walked 
carefully and got through with all of them, and got a big price because 
the other fellows broke so many." 

The nature of apiculture is such, that it i£ eminently adapted to special- 
ty. It has little connection with farming. While it would be unwise for 
him to do so, the blacksmith could more profitably add a small apiary to 
his business, as he could, during the dullest season for smithing, handle 
his bees when they' most need it; and watch for the issuing of swarms, 
from his shop window. 

Regarding apiculture as a specialty, what are the prospects for him 
who would embark? I do not see how they can be bad. Let us take a 



10 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

look at the two influencing factors outside of the ability of the operator, 
namely : supply and demand. The price of all produce fluctuates or ebbs 
and flows, like the tide of the ocean, sometimes above and sometimes be- 
low cost of production. 

The product, honey, cannot escape this law. My own opinion is that 
just in the near future we may experience a reaction, from a few years' 
excellent prices, recently passed through, but the immutable law of action 
and reaction so well known to you all, will keep it hovering about the 
cost-of-production point, the same as does all other products. 

Now, regarding supply, I doubt if one-twentieth part (possibly it 
would be correct to say one-hundredth part) of the honey annually secret- 
ed by the flora of the United States, is ever gathered by bees. I feel very 
confident that the time is far distant, if ever to come, when it can all be 
gathered at a profit. There are at present many unoccupied areas wait- 
ing for the future apiarist. Whether he can work any of them at a living 
profit or not, depends mainly upon his personal ability. 

To all those now in the business, or thinking of engaging in it, 1 wish 
to impress upon your minds the immense importance of occupying a field 
or area, entirely clear of all other bees ; many of the reasons for which, 
will be given under the head of " Over-stocking." It is my opinion that 
the supply of honey, now produced in the world, is fully equal to the de- 
mand, and I can find no reason for inducing those occupied in other pur-, 
suits, to embark in its production, much less to dabble with a few colonies. 
It would be criminal for me to hold out fictitious inducements for those 
who are failing in other lines of business, to try ours. To succeed as a 
honey producer, requires that amount of tact and industry, that will suc- 
ceed at almost any other calling. 

Knowing that I shall incur the opposition of a few other writers, and 
perhaps have little aid from anyone except "Father Time," I am 
forced to say that I do not consider bee-keeping adapted to the gentler- 
sex. I do not dispute the fact, that there are some women that can suc- 
ceed as honey producers, the same as some succeed as pedestrians, hostlers, 
farmers, stock-raisers, etc., etc., but that the nature of the work as car- 
ried on in an apiary where honey is produced at minimum cost, is adapt- 
ed to women, I cannot believe. I certainly do not want my daughter to 
try to compete with men, in this labor. Let us remember that the same 
inexorable law prevades all classes of production, viz.: He who produces 
at maximum cost, will fail. He who produces at minimum cost, will 
succeed. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 11 



CHAPTER II. 

Natural History. 

We are told, the honey-bee is an Articulate (composed of joints), of 
the class Insecta, sub-class Hexapoda, the order Hymenoptera, family 
Apidse, the genus Apis, and the species Apis Mellifica. Of the several 
varieties, we have to deal with only two — the German, or black bee and 
the Italian, or, as sometimes called by its European name — Ligurian. 

PHYSIOLOGY. 

A normal colony of bees consists of a single queen, or mother bee, 
many thousand workers (neuter bees) and at certain seasons, drones (or 
male bees). 

The queen (readily distinguished by her peculiar, elongated appear- 
ance) when fertile, lays the eggs from which all the bees of the hive 
are produced. Her capacity when properly developed, with favorable 
conditions, is from two to four thousand eggs per day. The eggs laid in 
worker cells, hatch into larvae in three days, are fed and sealed over 
in five days more, and hatch in about thirteen days thereafter, or twenty- 
one days from the laying of the egg by the queen. These same eggs, dif- 
ferently treated, will produce queens, being, like the workers, capped over 
five days from hatching into larvae — or eight days from the time the eggs 
are laid — but come forth from the cell in eight days more, or sixteen days 
from the egg. While this is the rule, the exceptions are numerous. I 
have repeatedly known from eighteen to twenty-two days to elapse between 
the laying of the egg and the hatching of the queen, and in one instance, 
the time was extended to a full twenty-five days. The bees seem to pos- 
sess the power to retard the development of both eggs and larvae, as also 
to hasten this process, by shortening the time nearly one day. The cells 
in which workers are reared, measure about five to the inch ; the drone 
cells are larger, measuring four to the inch, and nearly horizontal, and 
are hexagonal, or six sided. Queen cells usually approach the perpendic- 
ular, in position, (but may be horizontal or any angle between it and the 
vertical) are larger and longer than drone cells, nearly round in form, and 
taper toward the lower or outer end. The drones are slowest in devel- 
opement, maturing in about twenty-four days. The office of the queen 
is egg-laying, only ; the worker bees nurse and cap the brood, build comb, 
gather honey and pollen, store the same in the combs, and seal it over, 
and ventilate, and defend their hives against enemies. In addition to 
performing the office of the male, the drone augments the heat of the 
hive required for breeding, and I fully believe, in some way, assists in 
the evaporation or "ripening" of freshly stored nectar. The queen be- 
comes fertilized in the open air, when from five to ten days old, (although 
this may be retarded by bad weather or other unfavorable circumstances) 
and commences her duties of laying, in about two days thereafter. She 



12 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

lives to be from one to four years of age (and in isolated cases, still long- 
er) but tbe period of her greatest usefulness is often compassed within 
two years. 

The age of the worker-bees, varies greatly with the season of the year; 
from one to eight months. I believe however, from years of careful ob- 
servation in the apiary, that their average duration of life in the honey 
season, does not exceed forty-five days. Such at least, holds true of my 
own locality. They begin active operations in honey gathering when from 
four to eight days of age, and continue until their almost ceaseless indus- 
try has brought on the period of decrepitude and decay. 

Owing to the casualties by which they are surrounded, the age of the 
drone is an uncertain quantity. Even though they were not liable to be 
slaughtered by the workers at almost any moment, (in colonies normally 
conditioned) I believe them to be short lived. Although performing no la- 
borious work, and requiring a longer period for their developement than 
either queens or workers, circumstances point unmistakably to an evan- 
escent life. In my own location, where we often have a late honey-flow, 
I have repeatedly known them to go into winter quarters with the bees, 
and yet I have never, in even a single instance, been able to discover a live 
drone, the following spring, or even during any warm time that allowed 
the bees a mid- winter flight. 

The above. I believe, embodies the essential features of this theme, as 
applicable to practical bee-culture. We are often reminded of the wond- 
rous processes of nature, to secure unvarying results, and of the wise and 
beneficient adaptation of means to conserve desired ends. While it is true 
that we may not violate nature's laws with impunity, it is equally true 
that she is simply a blind force, caring naught for our wishes and desires. 
Experience has clearly shown many of her processes to be faulty, and, un- 
directed by man, often defeats the cherished results he is striving to gain. 
It is becoming more and more evident, with the lapse of years, that the 
mental horizon of man should be freed from the misty fogs of supersti- 
tion, if he would behold in all their force and beauty, the shining stars of 
truth in the realms of the useful and practical. 



CHAPTER III. 
Varieties of Bees. 



Eor the class I am writing, I need say nothing of the genders of our 
common honey bees. I wish to deal with the different races and strains 
of bees, that most honey producers are now using. I have never tested the 
merits of Cyprian, Syrian or Carniolan bees, as the reports from those 
who have been experimenting with them, have cautioned me against 
bringing any of that blood into my locality, well knowing how much easier 
it is to introduce, than to entirely eliminate foreign blood. 

In giving you my conclusions, upon the above subject, conclusions 
formed from continued careful experiment with German and Italian bees, 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 13 

of the various strains, and observation and conversation with friends who 
have experimented with Cyprians, Syrians and Carniolans, I will say that 
I believe that all these so-called races should properly be divided into two 
— the brown and yellow bees ; of which I believe the Italian and German 
represent the best of the two classes. Now, if one race possessed all 
points of superiority, and the other none of them, any discussion regard- 
ing "best bees," would be a thing of the past; but as it is a fact that 
points of superiority and inferiority, are about balanced between the 
races, it leaves a wide field in which the apiarist may well use his judg- 
ment and tact. 

I think all practical honey-producers will admit that the following 
points of differentiation between the two races, not only illustrate more 
radical differences, but points of more importance. 

Let us mention of the yellow bees, the following valuable points of 
superiority : 

1. Protection of their home against enemies. This characteristic is 
of greater value to the novice than the specialist; or, to those living in the 
South, gaining no assistance from severe winters. 

2. As a rule, they have a longer proboscis. This point is of advan- 
tage in such locations as, at certain times of the year, abound with flow- 
ers which have many nectaries pretty deep for honey-bees. 

While it is more or less correct to say that the Italians stick better to 
their combs, are more courageous, will remain in any new location better, 
are less liable to quarrel when different colonies are united, though fiercer 
in disposition, are less liable to sting, because they are less liable to take 
wing, that the queen is more readily found, etc. — all these are minor 
points, and even the second, can hardly be called a major point. 

In 1883, Mr. A. W. Osborn (now a large honey-producer of Cuba) 
penned the following, for the American Bee-Journal ; 

"While the praise of the different races of bees — the Italians^ the 
Holy Lands, Cyprians and others is being sounded far and wide; and 
while the best talent of our country is being engaged to bring more prom- 
inently before the public the superior qualities of the above named races, 
there are but few that have the boldness to come forward and advocate 
the good traits of character of the German bee (not the black). I know 
that one who has the independence to advocate the good qualtiies of the Ger- 
man race of bees, must expect to call down upon his head the scorn, dis- 
approbation and disgust of the great mass of bee-keepers of to-day. 

Let us go carefully over the ground and see if the German bees have 
not some traits, that the honorable bee-keeper is bound to respect. In the 
first place they excel as comb builders ; they excel as rapid workers to 
draw out foundation ; they excel as pioneers to strike out from the brood- 
chamber (and out of the queen's way) to store their honey; the queens 
thus having no honey to bother them, can fill the combs from top to bottom, 
and from end to end ; they excel in keeping their hives full of workers to 
gather the crop ; all other conditions being favorable, they excel as non- 
swarmers, when you give them plenty of room. . 

While I would not wish to be understood that I think the German bee 
possesses all the good traits to be desired in the " coming bee," yet I would 
wish them to have credit for what good there is in them ; and that their 
good qualities shall not be ignored when looking around for material to 
make up that long-looked-tor Apis-Americana. I am satisfied, from 
my own. experience, that the crossing of the different races makes better 
business-bees than either, bred pure." 

Mr. George Maloney, a very intelligent man, well versed in history 



14 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



and general science, as well as apiculture, on page 118, of the Bee-Jour- 
nal, for 1885, makes an unanswerable argument favoring the crossing of 
our different races and strains of bees. 

Is it not true of the brown German bees : 

1. That they are superior comb-builders, making wax more readily, 
of better color, capping over their combs quicker and whiter, leaving a 
space between the honey surface and cap which not only much improves 
the appearance, but enhances the price two or three cents per pound, se- 
curing a more ready sale with that advance, and enables the honey to bear 
a humid atmosphere for a considerable time, without any material deteri- 
oration. 

(The foregoing was of not so much importance twelve and fifteen 
years ago, when the honey supply was unequal to the demand and buyers 
came hundreds of miles to secure our crop— let it look as it might, if it 
was only "honey;" but, in these days, it is to me the most important 
point of superiority to be found with any race of bees.) 

2. They are much less inclined to swarm. This is an important trait, 
t especially to the larger special producer ; also to any who cannot give their 

apiaries close attention ; either because they have too many apiaries for 
the help employed, or too few colonies in one apiary to afford them con- 
. tinual attention. 

Minor points of superiority are, that they build the most worker comb 
and straighter (some may wonder why I call straight worker comb-build- 
ing a minor point. Because of the otherwise, wise and general use of full 
sheets of comb foundation ; but in cases where such are not used, this 
trait of the brown German bee is a major point, greatly in their favor), 
enter, surplus receptacles more readily, in eases where the apiarist has bad 
communications thereto, are more easily shaken from the combs (some- 
times an advantage and other times not), and are more sensibly affected 
by loss of queen. (This aids us in many manipulations.) 

When swarming, these bees alight sooner and with more certainty, 
than Italians ; a swarm hives more readily, they can be driven more easi- 
ly, heeding the admonitions of the smoker more promptly, etc. 

I do not doubt the wisdom of choosing the pure Italian bees, by those 
who live in the South, and make extracted honey a specialty ; but for 
those who live in the ^North, and produce comb honey (which I think 
more profitable wherever the bulk of the crop is light colored), my exper- 
ience forces me to recommend the brown German bees, or crosses be- 
tween them, and the leather-colored Italians. (The small, black variety 
of Germans, should be avoided, because of their nervous, irritable 
nature). 

^ About eight years ago I conceived the idea that I could, by controlled 
crossings, produce a strain (not race) of bees (using these two races for 
material to work with) that would possess more of valuable characteris- 
tics than either race in its purity. 

I began by rearing queens from pure Italian mothers, of the longer 
and larger leather-colored variety. These queens were mated with drones 
of the larger brown variety of German bees and by continued selections 
from these crosses, I have succeeded in establishing a strain, that very 
many of our practical honey producers, as well as myself, consider greatly 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 15 



superior to pure Italians, for the production of comb honey. I believe 
that all my students who have handled these bees, concur in the above 
sentiment. While I have kept all the valuable traits of the Italians, I 
have not succeeded in retaining all those of the German bees, in the high- 
est degree, but as a general-purpose bee, I, this day, much prefer them to 
any other race or strain of bees, with which I am acquainted. 

While I am willing to pit colony for colony of this strain, against an 
equal number of Italians, for steadfastness to the combs and consequent 
good behavior ; longer tongue, and consequent honey-gathering qualities, 
and faithful protection of their home against all enemies, I cannot truth- 
fully say that they will compare favorably with some colonies of the best 
strains of pure German bees, in the one point of snow-white capping of 
their surplus honey. 

Because accidental Hybrid bees, have borne a reputation for sting- 
ing, I am often asked if my new strain of crosses are well-behaved. I 
answer yes, and the reason is because I have carefully preserved that 
steadfast clinging to the comb, so characteristic of the pure Italians. The 
yellow races of bees are more courageous and belligerent than the dark 
bees, but as bees sting after taking wing, and as ten times more brown 
bees than yellow ones take wing when opening hives, etc., we get the 
most stings from crosses which inherit the temper and courage of Italians 
and loose-footedness of brown or black bees. See that these crosses in- 
herit the tendency to remain steadfast upon the comb, and you have the best 
dispositioned bees in the world. This is not only clearly logical, but is 
practically proven by the actions of one of the yellow varieties, that read- 
ily leave their combs like dark bees, and have the true yellow disposition; 
viz.: The Cyprians, which are admitted to be one of the most belligerent 
races of bees, known. It is also demonstrated in my own apiary. 

New conditions and demands, force us to different fixtures. In many 
thiags, I find that what was best fifteen years ago, (and would be to-day, 
were conditions the same) are not best for the present. I am convinced 
that there is going to be a turning backward from the yellow to the brown 
bee. We are as yet little acquainted with the Carniolans ; should it prove 
that this strain is equal to the Germans (if nothing more), the change 
would likely be done by introducing them. 

Purchasers of queens prefer something new ; vendors prefer the new 
prices. This branch of the darker race is already being praised (above 
the Italians) for the same qualifications possessed by the brown Germans. 
It is however, farther declared, that they excel all in good nature ; but 
what, to me, more than off-sets that, is an accompanying admission that 
they are as bad or worse than the Italians about swarming. 

To close, I will say that if you are producing comb honey exclusively, 
or nearly so, and have a good strain of brown bees, do not be in haste to 
change them. If you live in the South, and raise extracted honey main- 
ly, pure leather-colored Italians are perhaps the best bee that you can 
get. On the other hand, if you have any reason to introduce new blood 
into your apiary, and wish a comb honey, or general-purpose bee, you will 
find judiciously bred crosses between brown German, and leather-colored 
Italian bees, most excellent workers, comb-builders and well-behaved. 



16 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Value of Bees. 

A standard of value of bees, that would remain a standard or fixed 
price, cannot be given. Much depends upon the necessities of the owner 
and purchaser, as well as upon the price of their products. Again, the 
difference between spring and fall value depends upon our ability to carry 
our bees safely through the winter. Much also depends upon the kind of 
bees and hives, the condition of the combs, etc. I consider a well-bred, 
normal colony, in a preferred modern hive, with straight combs, at pres- 
ent, worth in the spring, eight dollars. I think them better worth that 
amount, than common bees in box, or objectionable frame hives are 
worth three dollars. Bees are sold in bulk, at from one dollar to two 
dollars per pound, according to the time of year, kind of bees and supply 
and demand. 

QUEENS 

that are one or two years old and tested for valuable qualities are usually 
sold at two to three dollars each, according to the time of year ; those 
sold earlier in the season bringing the higher price. Queens reared and 
sold as soon as they are fertile and have begun to lay, without much 
knowledge of their characteristics, bring one dollar each and are called 
"dollar queens;" though they are often sold early at one dollar and" twen- 
ty-five cents each, and later, in quantity at ten dollars per dozen. 

For those who do not wish to rear queens at all, but desire some fertil- 
ized ones to use, I recommend the dollar queen, if properly reared; for 
all those who rear their own queens, I cannot be too persuasive in advis- 
ing them to purchase only selected, tested queens to breed from. 



CHAPTER V. 
Bees on Shares. 

" What are just terms for taking bees on shares— just to the owner and 
operator?" is a question that has many times been asked me, both private- 
ly and publicly. At this time I do not know of any better answer than 
the one I gave Mr. Thomas, of Ohio, when answering the questions sent 
to the question department of the American Bee- Journal, for 1883, 
and I will quote it in its entirety from page 289: 

"The " Bees on Shares " question, is one that I have studied consider- 
ably. In answering the above, I do so with a prejudice in favor of the 
laborer versus the capitalist, a principle herein involved, though on ever 
so small a scale. Here are two facts: 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 17 



. 1. Bees are to some considerable extent a risky property; their life 
and the amount of their stores being an unknown quantity. One should 
have a larger per cent, of income from such property, by three or four 
fold, than from a good, safe real estate mortgage. 

2. On the other hand, the laborer should have an average income in 
advance of the ' going wages.' All this can be realized from the manipu- 
lation of bees, provided the bees are in proper hives, in a good location, 
and the work done by a faithful and learned man, and directed by exper- 
ience and tact. 

I. will lay down the following terms as those which seem to me the 
nearest to being just and the best adapted to both parties. 

The one owning the bees shall furnish the place to establish the 
apiary. He shall furnish all the fixtures in every respect. The laborer 
shall furnish himself ; nothing more. 

The laziest tramp can turn and mend, 
And be a man " lor a' that." 

The capitalist furnishes bees, apiary, tools, new hives for increase, 
comb foundation for surplus and brood departments, sections, shipping 
crates, and everything including advice suggested by his riper experience 
(which, it is supposable he possesses). He shall have the diction of the 
general plan of management, while the rentor does all the work and is 
dictator of the detail manipulation. The division shall be as follows : 

Each party shall have one-half of the surplus honey, and when it is 
sold, each one shall pay one-half cost of* sections, shipping crates and surplus 
comb foundation that is sold with the season's crop. The capitalist shall 
have diction over the whole crop, merely dividing the money for the same 
unless the laborer gives security for the payment of his half of the sec- 
tions, foundation and crates, when the honey may be divided, and each sell 
his own as he chooses. The bees should be managed for securing the 
greatest amount of surplus possible, and discouraged from swarming, all 
that such management tends to do ; but when they do swarm, they are to 
be hived and managed as are the old colonies. The increase belongs to 
the apiary, always ; and any system that gives a share of the increase to 
the laborer, will defeat itself and prove in the end damaging to both par- 
ties. The old system of half the honey and half the increase, and the les- 
see or laborer furnish everything, is illy adapted to modern apiculture, 
and would give the capitalist the 'lion's share.' Of course the surplus 
from the increase is divided equally, the same as that from the old 
colonies." 

To be sure each individual contract or agreement, may reasonably be 
varied, to better suit any special conditions existing in the case. I lay 
down general outlines that I think if carried out, will come very near to 
doing justice to both parties. When we have the wintering problem un- 
der universal control, these terms could well be modified in favor of the 
laborer. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Subduing Bees. 

As my experience in the matter of subduing bees, has taught me a 
little differently from that of those laid down in other works, perhaps I 
can shed a few rays of light upon the subject, after all that has been said 
by many better writers than myself. 



18 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

A vital point in mastering bees with smoke, is to smoke them so as to 
frighten all the bees in the hive, before you cause any jar or do anything 
that shall irritate them before they have capitulated. When bees are 
once thoroughly aroused with anger, no amount of smoke, however ap- 
plied, perfectly conquers them till they forget the cause of irritation. 

1 have seen whole apiaries continually irritable, in fact, dangerous to 
walk through without a face protector, that became so from no other 
cause than bad management with the smoker. The operator would either 
fail to smoke the colony at all, or smoke them only in part, before he 
would rattle a board on the hive, or tunk the cover, or roughly remove it, 
or make some reckless movement that put the bees on the defensive, and 
often the aggressive ; after which the smoke would not completely con- 
quer them. Such ignorant or careless handling, builds up a belligerent 
disposition in our bees that I believe becomes in-bred in them after a few 
generations, and then we have what we may call a strain of ugly 
bees. We should always be very careful to make no jar, or do anything 
to cause irritation, or even suspicion, upon the part of our bees till we 
have poured a stream of smoke upon the guards, and, unless during a 
heavy honey flow, into the entrance of the hive, sufficient that every bee 
may take affright. Then we should remove our shade-board, if we are 
using it at the time, and noiselessly remove the cover enough to pour a 
volume of smoke in at the top of the hive, when we may rattle and jar all 
we please thereafter, which at that stage of the operation, seems only to 
more completely subdue the bees. 

We have been told that the reason the application of smoke puts bees 
in a friendly attitude, is because it frightens them, which causes them to 
fill themselves with honey, and when so filled, they cannot without dis- 
gorging the same, assume an attitude in which they can use their stings. 
While this teaching may be correct in part, I think that the effect of 
smoke is to frighten out of them, all ideas of battle. It seems to instant- 
ly impress them with the utter uselessness of opposing "an enemy with 
a breath like that." 

We handle bees very rapidly and sometimes quite carelessly, outside 
of the period above mentioned, and we never wait for our bees to fill them- 
selves, after they are once thoroughly frightened, which can be accom- 
plished almost instantaneously. Of the above philosophy I think I have 
had ample proof. 

In a few instances I have had prime swarms when hanging on a limb, 
act so ferocious as to make their hiving a job to be dreaded. A few blasts 
from the smoker has always subdued them almost as quickly and perfect- 
ly as when upon their combs, and certainly no "filling themselves with 
honey," is possible here. 

We sometimes hear an apiarist boasting of how little smoke he can 
get along with. This always strikes us as an evidence of his lack of 
knowledge upon this subject. Where such smoke is used as described 
under the head of " Smokers," no harm can result therefrom ; while much 
harm may result, of time be wasted, from not using it freely, wherever it 
can possibly be of any aid to the operator. I know of but one instance 
wherein its use can do harm, and that is in smoking the guards of a col- 
ony that is in danger of being robbed. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 10 

While very many of my readers, contrary to most of the recognized 
authorities, may have learned to recognize the above points, any who 
may nob, will be highly gratified with the results they will achieve, if they 
in future work in accordance with them. 



CHAPTER VII. 
Increase. 



I have always been an advocate of natural swarming, as the best 
method of increase, especially for those of limited experience with bees. 
My past seasons 1 experience, and correspondence with a friend, one of the 
foremost bee-keepers of the country, has convinced me of many points 
of superiority in artificial increase, and I have engaged him to write a por- 
tion of this chapter, feeling that his broad practical knowledge eminently 
fitted him to do so, and herewith present it with such comments as are 
suggested by my own experience : 

" To the practical bee-keeper, whether he numbers his colonies by the 
tens or hundreds, the increase of his stock is a subject of more than ordi- 
nary interest and importance. While our success in applied apiculture 
will materially depend upon our methods of management in its various 
departments, and the energy and skill which directs them, this ques- 
tion of increase we deem to De an important factor in the problem of suc- 
cess. That, increase of stock, more or less rapid, is conducive to the 
best attainable results in honey production, is, 1 bslieve, conceded by our 
best, practical apiarists. Such has certainly proven true of my experience 
in bee-management. The increase of all types of animal life is a universal 
law of nature, which is the basis of whatever degree of success may be at- 
tained in our own pursuit. Yet, a blind adherence to nature will often mili- 
tate against us. The reason of this is apparent when we consider that 
nature in her varied and marvellous manifestations — embracing the uni- 
verse — takes no thought of, and cares nothing for the special success of 
any of her many forms of life. While nature should be our guide in so far 
as she works in our favor, beyond this point the intelligent hand of the 
bee-master must guide and control, for the end to be attained. It is the 
final results in dollars and cents, for which we are striving and with this 
object steadily in view, we submit such plans as our own experience has 
shown to conserve this result. 

While we have in the past regarded natural swarming as a preferable 
mode of increase, under a great variety of conditions and circumstances, 
this method is always open to many objections. Among these we may 
name the time required in watching "for and hiving swarms; the loss of 
queens by mixing of bees ; absconding swarms and the time lost by the 
queen in laying" and the bees storing honey, it being a well-known fact 
that the queen lays sparingly and the bees store honey with a diminished 
energy while preparations for swarming are in progress. As an offset to 
these drawbacks, it has been claimed that natural swarming imparts an 
added dejree of energy to the bees, that is otherwise unattainable— a 
claim which I am at present, more than inclined to doubt. But to those, who 
for air^ reason, prefer natural swarms and a moderate increase of stock, 
with i xa best results in surplus honey, either comb or extracted, we sug- 
gest lire following : 

Hive your first or prime swarms upon full sheets of wired-foundation 
(if you have no empty combs), in a new hive placed upon the old stand, 



20 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

removing the old colony to a new location. This removal will materially 
add to the working force of the new colony and prevent the issue of sec- 
ond, or after-swarms from the old one. The work of hiving natural 
swarms may be greatly facilitated by shaking a few bees (from one-half to 
one pound) upon the top of the frames, quickly replacing cover of hive, 
shaking balance of swarm upon a broad board placed in front of hive and 
upon a level with the entrance. The bees in the hive will set up the call 
peculiar in such cases, to which those outside will respond, ana at once 
join their companions. Thoroughly spraying the bees with cold water, 
when clustered, before shaking from the tree or other clustering place, 
will facilitate their easy and rapid manipulation. Bees may be held upon 
the tree any length of time by spraying every half hour ; but care should 
be exercised not to use too much water. We have found a ' Whitman 
Fountain Pump ' excellent for this purpose. 

The forced increase of colonies by what has been termed ' artificial 
swarming' — a term, that I do not like, but use for lack of a better one — 
has been met with many objections, some of which, I freely admit, have 
been shared by myself. But longer experience has convinced me that these 
objections arose from the faulty methods in use, and were not necessarily 
inseparable from the system itself. I can see no valid reason why a forced 
increase of stock, that shall secure the essential conditions of natural 
swarming and at the same time obviate the difficulties attending it, should 
not be adopted ; provided equal or better results are thus attained. It is 
the returns, the net cash which an apiary can be made to yield, that we 
want regardless of any theorizing or our own preconceived ideas. We 
are ever ready to supplant the old by the new, wnen such a change shall 
be advantageous, and the two methods given below have been attended 
by very gratifying results, in our own apiaries for many years past : 

Plan No. 1. From a full colony, remove two frames of brood and 
adhering bees, placing them in an enipty hive, which we will designate as 
hive No. 2; the old hive from which they were taken, as No. 1. Shake ad- 
hering bees from another comb of brood from No. 1 into No. 2, replacing 
this last comb in No. 1. Put empty combs or frames of foundation, in 
place of combs of brood removed from No. 1 and move it to a new loca- 
tion, with its old queen. Put hive No. 2, on stand formerly occupied by 
No. 1, giving it a frame of empty comb on each side of its two frames of 
brood, contracting unoccupied space in brood chamber by ' dummies ' or 
'fillers.' Now perform a like operation with your, strongest colonies, say 
one-fourth, or more in number. Eight days later you can start nuclei as 
above described, from such of your remaining colonies as you wish to di- 
vide, giving them queen cells on the following day, from nuclei started 
nine days before. When the queens have hatched in these nuclei, we give 
them each an additional frame of brood, taken from the colonies retain- 
ing the old queens. This last frame of brood should be eggs and unsealed 
larvse ; but the two frames first used, ought to consist largely of sealed 
brood. Now you will discover, if you have followed us closely, that this 
plan is simple, readily understood and easily operated. By it we have 
first a nucleus upon the stand occupied by the old colony, which can itself 
be readily built up to a full colony — one that will give us fine returns in 
surplus honey. The old colony, removed to a new location, loses just 
enough of its working force to obviate the tendency to crowd out the 
queen and swarm, yet retains the vigor and force of a full working stock, 
giving us two hives for business, in place of one — and at a season when 
most desirable — during the clover harvest. We may add, that to secure 
this result, our first nuclei are started during fruit bloom in the spring. 
For the comparative value of queens reared by this method, see chapter 
on ' Queen Rearing.' 

If bees are too weak in numbers during fruit bloom, or for any other 
reason no provision for increase has been made until the advent of the 
clover harvest, or the swarming season, we have recourse to Plan No. 2 : 

Remove old queen and one frame of brood (unsealed prefered), plac- 
ing same in centre of new hive, filling up on either side with frames of 
foundation or empty combs. Place new hive on old stand; shake two- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 21 



thirds of bees from old hive in front of new one, and remove old hive to a 
new location. On following day, give old stock a queen cell or virgin 
queen just hatched; or if these are not at hand, let them rear their own 
queen. If you have a supply of fertile queens, introduce such immediate- 
ly after division is made, as per directions for ' Introducing Queens. 
When this is done, the old colony will soon be in a prosperous condition, 
and will store surplus rapidly during any good honey flow ; while the new 
colony, occupying the old stand, has the old queen, a good force of work- 
ing bees of all ages ; in short, just the class of bees you would have had m 
a natural swarm, with none of the drawbacks and perils of natural swarm- 
ing. In this connection we may observe that the time required to hive one 
natural swarm, will suffice to make three divisions as above described— 
quite an item when the apiarist is crowded with work in this, his busy 
season. Those who prefer no increase of stock, but wish to devote the 
whole energy of the bees to the production of honey, may in our judg- 
ment, best secure such a result, by requeening their colonies just before, 
or at the beginning of the honey harvest. By this plan we secure the 
threefold conditions, so essential to success :— young, vigorous queens, 
the non-developement of the swarming impulse, and the highest energy 
and sustained industry in honey gathering. From long-continued and 
carefully conducted experiments, we unhesitatingly pronounce this meth- 
od incomparably superior to the use of any of the many forms of non- 
swarming attachments often recommended by apicultural writers. 

In concluding this subject, we may add that queens reared according 
to directions given in the chapter on ' Queen Bearing,' show but little ten- 
dency to swarm. Especially is this the case when the hives are properly 
shaded from the direct rays of the sun, and abundant room for storing 
surplus honey be provided. In the same chapter will be found the rea- 
sons for such directions herein given for making forced increase of stock, 
as are not explained in connection therewith, as they are closely connect- 
ed with queen rearing, and come more properly under that head." 

In practicing the first plan of artificial increase laid down by "My 
Friend," I wish to caution you in regard to protecting the old colony 
against any sudden change in the weather, causing a lower temperature, 
for you will notice that the parent colony contains much brood, and has 
just lost a large force of bees. I would advise arousing the colony, smok- 
ing it thoroughly, and leaning a narrow board against the front of the 
hive to cause the outgoing workers (after the division) to mark their new 
location ; thus tending to retain a larger force in the parent colony, than 
would otherwise remain. Italian bees will not return to the same extent 
as will the Germans. In inserting empty frames, or even frames of foun- 
dation, between frames of comb, it often happens that the bees take this 
opportunity to enlarge the adjoining combs beyond a proper thickness, 
thus making the new comb proportionately thin, greatly to our disadvan- 
tage. To avert this difficulty, see that the combs adjoining your frames 
of foundation are well brooded, which prevents farther extension of them, 
leaving room to build the new comb to proper thickness. Reversible 
frames also aid us in averting the above mentioned difficulty of inserting 
frames of foundation between frames of comb, at will. 

The second plan of artificially increasing our colonies, given by " My 
Friend," has been practiced by the author to some considerable extent. 
I have only to suggest that one-half, rather than " two-thirds " of the bees 
be driven from the old colony. This amount, together with the number 
that will return to the old location, will balance the old and new colonies 
about the same as natural swarming would have done. If the colony has 
already taken on the swarming impulse, a greater proportion may be 



22 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



driven, but under ordinary circumstances, 1 must caution against driving 
more than an estimated one-half of the bees. 

The foregoing, is supposing some increase is desired. Regarding the 
total prevention of swarming, I know of no sure way to prevent it. I 
know of no one who does. It may be greatly discouraged by always giv- 
ing the colony plenty of room, and keeping the hive well shaded, and do- 
ing this before the swarming impulse pervades the colony, all of which 
will be described in the chapter on " Hives." 

Though I have never practiced the plan of requeening early, as given 
above by "My Friend," it is one upon which I look with favor; more 
especially as it has valuable advantages independent of preventing the is- 
suing of swarms. 

Centuries have passed since it was known that the queens, drones and 
workers varied greatly in size. Based upon this fact, all sorts of devices 
have been constructed to control swarming, by preventing the escape of 
the queen and subjecting the workers to passages of egress and ingress 
too small for the queen to pass through. 

I will now endeavor to describe an arrangement t invented ten or 
twelve years ago, and laid aside as impracticable. Why impracticable? 
Mainly because of the trouble with the drones, (especially in hives where 
they were more numerous) almost totally preventing the bees from 
ventilating their hives. 




In viewing the above cut, imagine yourself looking at a tin box, 
14x6x4 inches, with both sides open. (In the cut, one side is up, and the 
other down.) You see an angling partition A, passing from one coiner 
of the tin box to within two inches of the other. This closes the opening- 
through the box, except the space 2x4. This space is closed by a piece of 
tin 2x3f , and the remaining opening, 2xf has a flat tube T of the same di- 
mensions and about 2i inches long, open at each end. The partition A, 
and all of that part of the box above the partition, and on the side towards 
you, is perforated with round holes made with a punch, with the bur pro- 
jecting on the outside. The holes are made just large enough to freely 
pass a worker bee when empty, and as there is no necessity for laden bees 
to pass these holes, they can be somewhat smaller than the ordinary con- 
tracted passages, and too small to admit of the passage of one unfertile 
queen out of one thousand. This attachment I made when I used the ten- 
frame Standard Langstroth hive with portico. To adapt it to my pres- 
ent hive whose inside dimension across the frames is eleven and one -half 
inches, let us imagine it twelve inches long, instead of fourteen inches', 



' SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 23 

and the left end (as you face it) also perforated. To adjust it to the hive, 
we lay the side C on the alighting hoard, shove it up tightly to the hive, 
pushing the tube T into the entrance and under the bottom bar of the 
side frame. 

The perforations are thickly located ; in fact, the tin is almost all holes. 
j^ow let us describe the actions of the bees, as we have watched them 
many an hour. A worker starts out to the field, he rushes to the entrance, 
looks at the new obstacle, accepts the invitation given him by the division 
A to pass to the right, goes down near the corner, slips through a hole, 
takes a look at the new order of things, sees that he is in the right church, 
that the pew is only newly ornamented, aud strikes out for the field. 
Another, and another, and another follow in rapid succession, all passing 
out near the corner, induced by the position of the angling partition A. 
The inner end of the tube T, being within the hive and quite dark com- 
paratively, only about one worker in one hundred passes out through it ; 
besides it is constantly in use, by those passing in. 

By this time the " nectar-laden bees " begin to return. Of course they 
propose to enter at the point of exit. They look at the holes. Sometimes 
stick their heads into one. The u grain " of this hole, you remember runs 
the wrong way, besides it is so small as to be poorly adapted to the tired 
and swollen-bodied, laden worker, even if passed the other way. 

Once again the angling partition invites the little worker to the right, 
which invitation he immediately accepts, and passes through the tube T. 
You will readily conceive that this tube is large enough to admit of the 
passage of the working force of tiie strongest colony, because the current 
flows all one way. (I think we used a tapering tube, it being only about 
one and one-half or one and one-fourth inches wide at the inner end.) In 
two or three hours, the bees seemed to have perfectly learned the attach- 
ment, and accept it cheerfully, almost the entire force passing out and in 
at the respective places designed for egress and ingress. 

I have again the past season, used the above attachment, also another 
made by Mr. Alley, of Massachusetts, and a new one of my own construc- 
tion, embodying the " angling partition " principle, together with the cone, 
as used by Mr. Alley to trap drones, and the queen when the bees swarm. 
I cannot say that I consider any of these attachments practical, and I do 
not think they will ever come into general use. I may be mistaken, and 
give this only as my opinion, and leave this principle to be experimented 
with by any and all who have a desire to do so. 

What is far more desirable, and I think desired, by most of my read- 
ers, is the 

PREVENTION OF AFTER-SWARMS. 

My name has become associated with a plan for the above purpose, 
which works perfectly with myself and others, and has been described 
in our apicultural papers, and which I quote as follows, from Glean- 
ings, of June 15, 1885, page 414 : 

HEDDON'S METHOD OF PREVENTING AFTER-SWARMS. 

" Several have reported success in preventing after-swarms, by simp- 
ly hiving the prime swarm on the old stand, and removing the old hive to 
a new location. They claimed the cause of success to rest in the fact that 
this removal drained the old hive of a larger proportion of its bees, espec- 
ially the older portion; and so when the young queens came to hatch, the 



24 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

bees would find themselves too few in numbers to swarm, and all super- 
numerary queens would be destroyed, and thus no after-swarming would 
take place. The theory is correct, but I found that it did not go far 
enough to insure success. I added to it by practicing the following : 

About eight days after a colony casts a prime swarm, the queen-cells, 
that were left behind to requeen the old colony, -begin to hatch. The first 
queen out instinctively scents danger from rival queens that will soon 
hatch from the other queen-cells ; so she at once attempts to destroy her 
rivals by stinging them before they coma out for even battle. The bees 
seem to dislike this act of depravity, and to postpone bloodshed they di- 
vide up, a part coming out with this queen (sometimes two or more 
queens) while the rest remain to await the hatching of the other cells. 
Thus we get after-swarms. They seem to be- Jack-at-a-pinch swarms, 
and not the fulfillment of natural desires, as are prime swarms. 

Many times several of these after-swarms are cast, and it often seems 
that they never would cease as long as the queen-cells hold out, and the 
old colony could furnish workers to make up these little swarms. We 
have been advised to stop this after-swarming by clipping all the queen- 
cells but one, soon after the prime swarm issues. This method is a good 
one in theory; but in practice, bee-keepers have found that too often the 
cell left, will fail to hatch. Oftener the bee-master fails to get all clipped 
but one, and out comes his second swarm when he is least expecting it. 

Practical honey-producers are asking for something else, and here is 
the system of management that I adopted some years ago, and advocated, 
and one which W. Z. Hutchinson and others have tried and reported suc- 
cessful. 

Let us suppose that colony No. 8 swarms June 15. With a non-era- 
sive crayon we mark upon the hive, ' O, June 15,' and on the hive in which 
we put the swarm, ' S, June 15.' Thus we distinguish the old colony from 
the swarm at a glance, as we make these marks in large characters. 

When we hive the swarm (always on full sheets of wired foundation), 
we place it on the old stand, moving the old colony a few inches to the 
north (our hives front east), with its entrance turned northward, away 
from its swarm about forty-five degrees. As soon as the new colony is 
well at work, having their location well marked (say two days), we turn 
the old colony back parallel with the new one. Now both hives face east, 
sitting close beside each other. While each colony now recognizes its own 
hive, they are, as regards all other colonies, on one and the same stand. 

The dates on the back ends of the hives indicate that second swarm- 
ing may be looked for about June 23. About two or three days before 
that date, and when the bees are well at work in the fields, we remove the 
old hive to a new location in another part of the apiary. This depopu- 
lates the old colony, giving the force to the new, leaving too few bees in 
the old one for the young ' Misses ' to divide ; and as they at once recog- 
nize this fact, they fight it out on the line of ' the survival of the fittest.' 

Remember that you are to remove the old hive to its final location, 
when the workers are mostly in the field, and move.it carefully, so that 
very few old bees carried away with it will mark the new location. 

It is supposable, that when the old colony swarmed it contained two 
or three tiers of surplus sections, more or less completed. It is well to at 
once place part of them on the swarm ; and when the final removal of the 
old colony is made, the rest may also be placed there ; in which case there 
will be no loss of surplus by robbing the old colony of so many bees— not 
if your hives are properly constructed, arranged and manipulated. 

The old colony contains no very young brood, and very many newlv 
hatched bees, so there will be no loss of brood by this operation— not in 
swarming time, in this locality and latitude. 

In six to ten days the old colony will have a fertile queen, as a rule, 
and become quite populous, when surplus receptacles may be adjusted 
to it. 

In my practice with this method, and the practice of many others who 
have used it, I am not aware of one instance of failure. The plan em- 
braces the advantages of speed and certainty. It is done in half the time 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 25 

you are reading this chapter. There is no hunting for queens or queen- 
cells, or even opening the hives. It needs only to be properly executed to 
he appreciated. 

If we are going to produce cheap honey at a profit, all our operations 
must be executed by just such simple, practical and successful methods. 
We must manipulate hives more and frames less. All our hives must be 
readily movable, and we must make everything work as nearly automatic 
as possible, and turn out first-class surplus honey." 

I do not practice what is called " Clipping the Queen," which consists 
of cutting away part of one of her wings, so that when she issues with a 
swarm, she cannot fly, for I have found in my locality and surroundings, 
such clipping only complicates the troubles of natural increase, and thai, 
the bees are apt to forever be more or less jealous of the presence of a 
wing-clipped queen. With them, they are more apt to swarm, or super- 
cede them. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
Queen Rearing. 

Of all my acquaintance, I know of no man that I believe to be as well 
versed in this branch of our pursuit, as " My Friend," who has at my sol- 
icitation, penned the following, based upon years of extensive experience 
in queen rearing : 

" A bee is a bee, and that's all there is of it.' How often in the past have 
we heard this idea advanced in some form or other, while at the present 
time it is by no means uncommon. In support of the advanced ideas of 
to-day, regarding the breeding of bees, we may cite the wonderful pro- 
gress that has been made in the breeding of our domestic animals ; the im- 
proved milk and butter qualities of our cows, the beauty and speed of the 
horse, the docility and sagacity of the dog, the fattening qualities of the 
hog, the prolificness of fowls, and the almost numberless other instances 
of progress in the same direction. Yet we are met by the same incredu- 
lous smile accompanying the old observation, ' Oh ! yes, but a bee is only 
a bee. ' Let us see how much of truth there may be in this hackneyed phrase. 
If we accompany the owner of an apiary who has paid little or no attention 
to this subject of breeding, we will find a yard, the bees of which, possess 
characteristics differing widely from each other. Here we find a stock, 
peaceable and industrious, close by another that is very belligerent, seem- 
ingly anticipating, and always ready for an attack. A third one that has 
made a ' two-forty ' record in the line of swarming, yet others that are 
good comb builders and honey gatherers, having ' made their pile ': of sur- 
plus, while this one is weak in numbers and generally valueless, and that 
one always ready to rob its neighbor of its honeyed stores, or follow 
the apiarist about, with a tenacity and venom that makes life (in a bee- 
yard) miserable. And shall we say in this age of rapid progress and wonder- 
ful achievements, that the apiarist can do nothing to remedy such a state 
of affairs? That while his brothers in other pursuits are steadily sur- 
mounting the obstacles that lie in their pathway, he is powerless to un- 
lock the secrets of nature and use them to his own advantage?' Our only 
answer is, that everything depends upon the apiarist. If he bring the 
same skill; tact and perseverance, to his work, as has been shown in other 
pursuits, success will crown his efforts ; otherwise he must remain con- 
tent with the same heterogeneous traits of apis melifica, already enumer- 



26 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

ated. Granting that a better condition of affairs is alike devisable and 
obtainable, what is the royal highway that will bear us to the long sought 
goal? 

Briefly stated, we may say that the law of evolution, as applied to 
species, is the basis of the superstructure which we wish to build. Dis- 
crimination in selection and careful breeding, will give results that will 
amply recompense us for the time and expense necessary for the elimiation 
of undesirable traits, and the attainment of those characteristics which are 
now so generally conceded to be especially desirable. The first step is the se- 
lection of queens for breeding. For this purpose, choose such as have 
proven prolific, keeping the brood chamber well and compactly filled, un- 
der adverse, as well as favorable conditions, and whose worker progeny 
are hardy, peaceable and industrious, adhere well to the combs in hand- 
ling, defend themselves against enemies, are good comb-builders and not 
only maintain, but show a marked tendency for improvement of these 
qualities in their queen progeny. Those who' have had large and extend- 
ed experience in queen-rearing, can appreciate the importance of this last 
mentioned tendency. And just here we would say, that we consider the 
selection of drones for fertilization, as an important factor in the success- 
ful solution of this problem. They too, should be reared from such stocks 
as show in the highest degree, those traits which we wish to establish. 
Having selected our breeding stock, the measure of success'that shall at- 
tend our efforts, will materially depend upon the skill by which they are 
directed, inasmuch as the methods employed must radically affect the final 
results. We are often reminded that nature must be our guide, if we 
would achieve success in this branch of apiculture. In some "measure this 
is true, and yet nature is often faulty in her processes ; defeating the cher- 
ished result we are earnestly striving to gain. Having long appreciated 
the importance of this fact, 'as applied to the subject in hand, we submit 
our favorite method of rearing queens — one which has given us the most 
uniform and satisfactory results. 

Before doing this, however, we wish to say just a word relative to the 
existing prejudice against what has been termed 'forced queens.' Many 
years ago, that close observer and able writer, the late M. Quimby, wrote 
an excellent article upon this same subject, in which, after detailing his 
methods and recommending a little box and a handful of bees for the pur- 
pose, asks this question — ' Have I made it plain now, that brood and 
nurses can be economically adjusted:" We qxiote the above to show that 
Mr. Quimby, although an eminent practical apiarist, made the same mis- 
take, so often committed by others, in supposing that because a small 
quantity of bees can construct queen-cells, that they are capable of doing 
the work as well as bees that are in a normal condition. In the light, not 
only of our own past experience, but that of many others as well, we 
would broadly state as a rule, whose exceptions are exceedingly rare, that 
fully developed queens cannot be reared by bees so situated as to be in a 
sluggish, abnormal condition. If we desire success, this condition must 
be avoided, and here is our way of doing it : 

From your breeding stock,' select a comb of just hatching larvae, plac- 
ing it in the center of an empty hive; upon either side of this comb, put 
two combs partially filled with honey, and if they contain some pollen, so 
much the better. Your hive will now contain five combs, four of-dioney 
and pollen, and one of larvae. Outside of these combs, place a ' dummy ' 
or ' filler,' as a protection against extremes of temperature. Now we place 
this hive for queen-rearing, upon the stand of some strong colony, brush- 
ing off the bees from two or three combs, into it, and removing said col- 
ony to a new location. This gives an abundant working force of bees, of 
all ages, in the same location to which they have been accustomed, and 
being deprived of their queen, will immediately proceed to the rearing of 
the queen-cells to supply her loss. Twelve days afterwards, these cells 
will begin to hatch and the young queens can then be given to strong 
nuclei, where they are to remain until fertilized and laying. To secure 
larvae of uniform age, insert a frame of worker comb in your breeding 
stock or stocks, four days before you wish to start cells. The number and 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 27 



location of queen-cells may be partially determined in advance, by simply 
breaking down with the point of a knife, the lower partition of a cell con- 
taining the larvae you wish developed, and the two cells immediately be- 
neath it. The months of May, June, July and August, are the most fav- 
orable for queen-rearing in this locality, and to secure best results, cells 
should be started during a good, or moderately good, honey flow. We 
may add, that giving the bees a comb of eggs and larvae, ten days alter 
cells are started, is highlv advantageous. The modus operandi of this 
method is simple, producing the very choicest of queens— vigorous and 
finely developed. They mav be allowed to hatch and then run in at the 
entrance of a nucleus or full colony, that has been queenless twenty-tour 
hours, smoking the bees moderately at the same time. Queens reared by 
this method, while equal in point of vigor and every other desirable char- 
acteristic to any reared naturally under the ' swarming impulse,' difler 
widely from this latter class in one important feature, viz.:— in being dis- 
inclined to lead out natural swarms. From close observation and a some- 
what extended experience with queens reared by this method, I fully be- 
lieve that the swarming instinct mav be practically bred out of our bees, 
and at the same time perfect their other desirable qualities. This we deem 
to be an important feature, facilitating and simplifying the labor of the 
apiarist during the busy season, enabling him to secure far better results 
in honey production, with less labor, worry and general friction." 

In my opinion the above generalities given by " My Friend," embrace 
some of the grandest .truths upon which successful apiculture is based. 
Especially is this true of what he says regarding the' possibilities of im- 
proving our stock. I have never been so fully impressed with this great 
truth, as now, after again going through a campaign with two hundred 
colonies of bees (spring count) one-half of which were purchased of four 
different apiarists. 

Before giving you a detailed outline of our preferred method of queen- 
rearing, one which we are now practicing with very satisfactory success 
I wish to again call your attention to the important truth, that in apicul- 
ture as well as other lines of culture, art, if properly applied, may excel na- 
ture. I believe we get better queens and more of them, by the following 
process, than nature gives us through her system of natural swarming. 
Once I could hardly be made to believe this, but experience has forced 
me to recognize the fact. 

We proceed to rear queens as follows : 

First, we select the colony we wish to rear from. Its bees must have 
proven themselves to be excellent honey gatherers, good comb-builders, 
and well-behaved; adhering well to their combs when handled. Their queen 
must never be less than one year old, and such a queen, producing bees as 
described, is a " tested queen," with us. When we are ready to begin op- 
erations, we select one or two new empty combs, and insert them near the 
center of the brood-nest of our selected colony. On the fourth day after 
this insertion, \ve examine them, and almost without exception we find 
them containing eggs, and just hatching larvae. (If not, we leave them 
until we do.) We now remove them, filling their place with other combs. 
We now look these two combs over, and wherever we find larvse just 
hatched, we break down the partitions between the cells containing them 
and those just below, as described, by putting the point of a large blade 
into the chosen cell, about one-fourth of an inch, and pressing downward 
as we withdraw it. We usually select ten or twenty such cells on each 
comb, and then insert these two combs in a colony prepared as follows : 



28 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

Select a colony of average strength, with bees of all ages, in average 
normal quantities, and deprive them of their queen and all their brood, 
both of which may be profitably placed in other colonies, as a rule. If 
these bees are German or part German, they are just so much better as 
queen-rearers. If there is little or no honey flow, contract the hive to five 
L combs, or one section of our new hive. If the former, put in the fillers- 
Put in two combs of eggs in the center, and a comb containing some hon- 
ey and bee-bread on each side of them, and fill up with empty combs. If 
there is a honey flow, All the whole L hive with combs, or use a second sec- 
tion, or super, on my new hive. Close the hive, and queen-cell building will 
at once begin. Twenty-four hours later you may open the hive, and break 
down some more cells, where the eggs have hatched since you was last 
there. On the following day, you may repeat cell breaking, and you will 
get from forty to seventy-five large, perfect queen-cells, built by this col- 
ony. The first of these cells may be expected to hatch sixteen days after 
the queen laid the eggs in the combs, or twelve days after you placed them 
with the cell-building colony. About two days before this, and af Ler all 
the cells are capped, we remove these two combs to the lamp nursery, in 
which we place them, keeping the temperature therein at eighty-five to 

ninety degrees, Fahrenheit. 

For tne benefit of those who may never have seen the lamp nursery ^ 
I will say tiiat it consists of an open top tin box, double all around, includ- 
ing the bottom, and the one and one-half inch space is filled with water. 
It has a rabbet at the top, and is of the interior size of the ten-frame L. 
hive. It is made by Mr. Root, of Medina, Ohio, and costs, including lamp 
and thermometer, five dollars. We place it on an open top box, made 
to fit it, and place the lamp below it, adjusting the blaze, until the proper 
temperature in the nursery is reached, then insert the two combs, when 
it is covered with a board or carpet. We use the nursery in our apiary 
cellar, and when the proper nursery temperature is once reached, we are 
thus enabled to hold it within one degree all the twenty-four hours, day 
after day and week after week. Many would think that the proper tem- 
perature to keep, would be that kept in a colony while rearing and hatch- 
ing queens. Careful observation and experimenting has taught us that 
there is a great variation of the temperature in queen-rearing colonies, 
varying with different colonies, and at different times of day and in differ- 
ent seasons, and that the average of all these variations is too high a tem- 
perature to keep in the nursery to have the queens come out with the 
most vigor. For this reason and from comparison, we believe the lamp 
nursery superior to any hive in which to hatch capped queen-cells. We 
have never seen coming from any hive from natural swarming, so many 
in number, or such uniformly large and vigorous queens, each one look- 
ing precisely like the others, as we bring forth from the lamp nursery and 
method of rearing, above presented. A perfect honey dearth is some- 
thing we never have here, late years during the time of queen-rearing, 
since our bees work so much on red clover, and thepleurisy, spoken of under 
the head of " Honey Plants." But had we such dearth, we should practice 

stimulative feeding upon the cell-building colony. We will now proceed 
to outline our preferred method of 

FORMING NUCLEI 

in which to place these queens for further development and fecundation. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 29 

It is only necessary to form, a small colony of bees with comb and 
brood in proportion, in which to place these queens, as fast as they hatch 
from the nursery, where they may spend a few days exercising for deveh 
opement, then fly out to meet the drones, returning to the hives fertile 
queens, beginning to lay in a day or two, when they may be removed to 
hives where needed, or placed in mailing cages and shipped to customers. 

Our plan which we have practiced all the season, with uniform suc- 
cess, is so simple that we have smiled upon reading many laborious, com- 
plicated methods, laid down in some of our bee periodicals. 

It is always about swarming time when w r e begin queen-rearing, and 
we form our nuclei, as follows : 

We select one of our strongest and best brooded colonies, dividing it 
as described by " My Friend," under head of " Increase," plan No. 2, de- 
viating only in so much as we place only about one-third of the bees with 
the old queen on the old stand. This leaves us two-thirds of the bees, and 
seven frames of brood, with which to form nuclei. These may be divided 
into at least four good nucleus colonies, by placing two frames of brood, 
(one extra frame of brood may be taken from any other colony that can 
spare it) and two empty combs in each of four hives, dividing the bees and 
brood as nearly equal as possible, between them, placing them in any part 
of the apiary you may choose. (It is better to remove them some little 
distance from the parent stock.) 

Many will now inqure what is to prevent them from deserting our nu- 
clei, and returning to the old stand? We place a filler just outside of our 
fourth empty comb, and block the entrance down to the passage of four 
or five bees. We place our two combs of brood between the two empty 
combs — all four combs occupying the regular space between one side of 
hive and filler. We smoke and arouse the bees thoroughly when removed, 
and lean a narrow board up against the front end of the hive, that the bees 
must fly out around, in making their exit. This causes them to mark the 
new location, and return to it, to a great extent. 

You will remember that one-half of our bees may leave each nucleus 
and yet leave as many bees with the brood as are usually left in cases of 
natural swarming, and fully as many as are needed to take care of the 
brood and form a suitable home for our young queens. In our experience 
we have in many instances, retained too many bees, in which case we have 
shaken part of them back with the colony on the old stand. 

Should this colony previously have decided to swarm, nearly all the 
bees would remain with your nuclei. 

1 am aware that the experiences of different apiarists, in different lo- 
cations, differ. ^ The above precautions are all that we ever find necessary 
here. Should you not find them sufficient in your practice, I believe that 
the following additional precautions will guarantee success with any bees, 
anywhere, and they are practical, speedy and simple : 

When you first remove N the newly formed nuclei to their stands, in- 
stead of giving them their liberty, completely close the entrance to their 
hives with wire screen. Do not at that time insert the filler, but give them 
full liberty of the whole brood-chamber, and in addition, a surplus case 
or extracting super, above — which will give them plenty of air while con- 
fined to the hive, which should be shaded from the sun's rays. 



30 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

Form these nuclei in the forenoon, keeping them confined until about 
sundown, or just as your other bees are ceasing to fly. Now drum on the 
hive and smoke in the entrance a few minutes, after which remove the 
screen at the entrance, letting your confined bees have a flight, when they 
nearly all mark their new location, remaining at.the same, if these, in ad- 
dition to the other precautions, are used. 

OTJR METHOD OF INTRODUCING 

these virgin queens, as fast as they hatch in the nursery, is as follows : 
Watch the nursery closely, so that the queens will not get old enough to 
kill each other, or bite open the unhatched cells and destroy the inmates. 
We go to ours and examine for hatched queens, about five times per day, 
going as early and late as we are up, so as to make the interval during the 
night, between examinations, as short as possible. We have not as yet, 
had a queen destroyed. When you find one or more hatched, place each 
in a wire cloth cage, and carry her to one of your previously formed nu- 
clei; smoke the guards, and removing the stopper from the cage, place 
the open end at the entrance of the nucleus, and let her run in. Just as 
she passes in, send a light puff of smoke after her, and leave the hive with 
your empty cage. I think that the less you arouse the colony, the surer 
you are of success. I advise the use of no more smoke than to make sure 
of subduing the guards. 

There has been some discussion regarding the best age of the nucleus, 
at the time the young queen is run in. Some consider such introducing 
safe, only after the nuclei have their queen-cells capped, which will be 
from three to six days after they are formed, but I have always endeav- 
ored to get a young queen in, sometime between twenty-four and forty- 
eight hours after formation. I have in many instances failed to have my 
queens on hand as soon as I intended, and have this season run queens 
into nuclei of all ages, from six hours to as many days, and I think not a 
single failure has beset our efforts. We have found about one in fifteen 
of our nuclei, queenless, but as we seldom look after these matters pre- 
vious to a week after introducing, and have in no case found queen-cells 
on the combs, I infer that these queens were accepted, but were lost 
on their mating trip or otherwise, afterwards. 

I wish to caution the less experienced, against opening a hive " to see 
how the queen is coming oh," or for any other purpose, if it can well be 
avoided, within six or seven days after the introduction of any queen. 1 
have received many letters from my customers, like this : 

" I received your queen, apparently all right. I introduced her safely, 
and found eggs the next day after liberating, but now I cannot find her, 
and queen-cells are started." 

Bees seem to receive a new queen on probation for the first three or 
four days, and if during the time, they are subjected to any disturb- 
ance, they suspect the strange queen as the cause, and at once destroy her. 
I have had colonies kill their old mother, upon having their hives opened. 
This always took place in spring. 

If for any reason it becomes necessary to open a hive, soon after in- 
troducing a queen to its colony, by use of the big volume of smoke, des- 
scribed under the head of "Bee Smokers," be sure that you subdue this 
colony most thoroughly. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 31 



In introducing fertile qneens, I have adopted the caging plan, and 
that of besmearing the hew queen with honey, and dropping her into the 
hive at once, upon the removal of the old queen, and with both methods 
have very seldom lost a queen ; but what may be a better and surer meth- 
od of introduction, is one practiced by " My Friend," who gives it in his 
own words, as follows : 

"While absolute, unvarying success is unattainable, as arule, our Amer- 
ican bee-keepers have sought some method of introducing laying queens, 
that would always insure success. Many plans have been proposed, which 
in practice, have given a greater or less degree of satisfaction. Still, the 
percentage of failures, has I believe, been sufficient to give the operator a 
thorough feeling of apprehension, whenever introducing a valuable queen 
to a colony of bees. After trying the caging plan, confining the queen 
from two to four, or even more days, resulting in many cases in the loss of 
costly queens, I became convinced that some method of immediate intro- 
duction was essential to complete success. I at once began to experi- 
ment with this end in view, and hit upon a method with which we have 
not had even a single failure, although largely practiced for the past ten 
years. Here is the way we do it : 

Remove the queen from the colony to which you wish to introduce, 
then thoroughly spray the bees and combs, and new queen, with sweeten- 
ed water, scented with peppermint. Let the queen crawl in with the bees, 
close the hive, and the work is done. We make this scented mixture, by 
adding half a pound of powdered or granulated sugar to a quart of cold 
water, and a half teaspoon of essence of peppermint, thoroughly stirring 
together before using. Apply by sprinkling with a small brush broom. 
With a particularly choice or valuable queen, we usually divide a colony 
as per plan JSTo. 2, given under head of 'Increase;' spray our queen and 
the bees in the old colony that has been removed to a new location, and 
let the queen run in as before. In this case there are no returning bees 
from the fields, that were not scented, while the strength of the colony has 
been reduced just enough to give the queen a proper chance to recover 
from her journey (if she has been obtained from some dealer at a distance) 
and resume her accustomed ' gait,' at laying. I am satisfied that many 
tine, prolific queens are superceded by very strong stocks, on account of 
laying sparingly the first few days after their introduction. 

The philosophy of the success of this plan, is that the colony does not 
realize it has been queenless, for it has not ; it is simply an exchange of 
queens, so performed that the bees do not recognize the transaction. To 
absolute safety, we add the advantage of immedaite liberty to the intro- 
duced queen, and resumption of her labors, which is especially desirable 
in case of imported queens, or those having come long distances. We 
have always introduced our imported queens in this manner, with the same 
uniform success. This spraying method has been used and recommended 
by several of our best apiarists, and I only lay special stress upon the ap- 
plication of the principle as above delineated, because of its perfect suc- 
cess in my own apiary." 



CHAPTER IX. 

Italianizing. 

The changing of black or native bees to the Italians, is called Italian- 
izing. This is accomplished by simply removing the old queen and intro- 
ducing an Italian in her place ; directions for which are given under head 



32 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

of " Introducing Queens." If you have not a supply of laying queens for ■ 
this purpose, just hatched virgin queens, as a rule, may safely be run in 
at the entrance of any colony whose queen has been removed twenty-four 
hours before, if bees are gathering honey at the time. Colonies that have 
cast prime swarms, will invariably accept such virgin queens any time 
from an hour to four days afterward, and thus prevent the issue of all 
after-swarms. In this way, black bees in box hives, that have swarmed, 
may be easily Italianized. Full and explicit directions for obtaining these 
virgin queens, may be found under the head of "' Queen Rearing." 



CHAPTER X. 

Transferring 1 . 

As I cannot advise the practice, I will not describe the old method of 
transferring bees, by opening the hives, cutting out the combs full of 
brood and honey, and covered with bees, cutting them in pieces to fill, or 
partially fill different shapes of frames, tying them into the same, and 
finally ending with a very imperfect job compared with that given us by 
the new method, which has been published in some of the papers and giv- 
en the name of 

MODERN TRANSFERRING, 

which I believe has been credited by common consent to the author. 

I will now tell you how I accomplish this perfect change of a colony, 
from one hive to another, by quoting from my article on page 562 of 
Gleanings, for 1885 : 

About swarming time I take one of my Langstroth hives, containing 
eight Given pressed wired frames of foundation, and, with smoker in hand, 
I approach the hive to be transferred. First, I drive the old queen and a 
majority of the bees into my hiving-box. I then remove the old hive a 
few feet backward, reversing the entrance, placing the new one in its 
place, and run in the forced swarm. In two days I find eight new straight 
combs with every cell worker, and containing a good start of brood. 
Twenty-one days after the transfer I drive the old hive clean of all its 
bees, uniting them with the former drive, and put on the boxes if they are 
not already on. If there is any nectar in the flowers, this colony will 
show you comb honey. I run them together as I would one colony in two 
parv.s. Now to the old beeless hive. Of course, there is no brood left, 
unless a little drone-brood, and we have before us some combs for wax, 
for more foundation, and some first-class kindling-wood. 

If you have no method by which you can use a hive full of frames of 
full sheets of foundation, running a prime swarm onto them at once, by all 
means procure it without delay. But if any one has a mania for cutting 
up combs and fitting them into frames, the method given above does not 
prohibit them from using all the straight worker-combs the old hive con- 
tains, after first extracting the honey from them. Should any one wish 
to increase his colonies at the same time he transfers, only the following 
deviations from the above are necessary : Run the second drive into an- 
other hive of full frames of foundation, and use the old hive as before. 
JSTow that we have foundation perfected, so that the bees will draw the 
lines or side walls to full breeding depth, in from two to three days, why 
fuss with the old comb from the old hive? Having once experienced the 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 33 

advantages to be attained by using the above method, I shall certainly 
never go back to the old one. All of you know what a nuisance a few odd- 
sized hives are in the apiary ; also some who have just started, wish they 
had adopted some other style of hive. The above method of transferring 
will get all such out of their trouble. 

The cost of foundation and new hives is fully made up by the better 
combs, and you have the change to better style of hive thrown into the 
bargain. I have thoroughly tested the results of the plan herein describ- 
ed, and am speaking from experience. 

We have just practiced the above upon seventy-two colonies, and 
without a failure or mishap of any sort. I purchased sixteen colonies of 
bees ; that is, I purchased the bees, brood and honey, with the agreement 
that I should return the hives and empty combs, which I have done. We 
made each one cover two sets of combs in two brood-chambers, with two 
queens, besides the surplus sets used above for extracting, and all are 
rousing strong. When you plan to double your colonies, you remove the 
old colony to an entirely new location, when you make the first drive. It 
is now my opinion, that, even without the use of comb foundation, in the 
days when we had none, this plan of transferring would have been the 
preferable one. As we are cutting out the old comb for wax, we transfer 
any that we find, that are perfect," now that they are all clear from bees, 
and brood, after first extracting all the honey from them." 



CHAPTER XI. 

Fertile Workers. 

" It sometimes occurs, that a colony of bees becomes hopelessly queen- 
less. By this we mean that they not only do not possess a queen, but have 
neither eggs nor larvae from which to' rear one. When this state of affairs 
obtains, fertile workers usually make their appearance, to the great an- 
noyance of the apiarist. I have never been able to distinguish these bees 
from the ordinary workers. Unlike a fertile queen, they do not lay their 
eggs compactly in the combs, but scatter them about promiscously, al- 
ways preferring drone cells, and usually depositing from two to six eggs 
in a single cell. As a rule, only a small portion of the cells are occupied, 
although in several instances I have known a set of eight L combs to be 
pretty well filled with eggs, in from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, and 
averaging at least two eggs for every unoccupied cell contained in these 
combs. These eggs develope in the usual way, but if laid in worker- 
comb, thecells are lengthened and the capping is unusually convex, invar- 
iably producing dwarf drones. If the apiarist be vigilant and watchful, 
fertile workers will seldom appear ; but when once established in a col- 
ony, they have proven a great annoyance, from the fact that bees seem 
determined to accept neither queen-cells, or fertile or virgin queens. By 
experimenting however, I have discovered an easy solution to this prob- 
lem of quickly disposing of them. Insert one or two combs of hatching 
bees, in the colony. Two days thereafter give them a frame of eggs and 
larvae, and on the following day, queen-cells, or a fertile or even a virgin 
queen may be introduced, as per directions elsewhere given for introduc- 
ing queens. This plan is simple, requires little time and has given us uni- 
form and complete success, as the young hatching bees invariably dispose 
of all fertile workers." 

" My Friend's " assurance of so easy a method of disposing of fertile- 
workers, was quite unlooked for, and is a happy surprise to me. He in- 
forms me that it has never failed with him, and I hope that it is one of 
the rules that is not confined to any one special location, but will give us 
the comfort and satisfaction that he has received from it. 



34 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

(My former method of disposing of these egg-laying workers, has been 
to drum on their hive, and smoke them, until they were all well filled with 
honey, then place some new or weak colony, with brood and fertile queen 
in their place,- carrying them away to the woods, or some field, twenty or 
forty rods from the apiary, and brushing the bees clean from the hive and 
combs, and scattering them as I brushed, when they would rise and re- 
turn to the old stand, enter the new hive thereon, and all would go well, 
when I would give their combs to some strong colony to take care of. 
With this method I have never met a failure or mishap, and I have al- 
ways practiced it, in the few cases I have had. ) However, I should much 
prefer the new method, and next season shall test it as far as these pecul- 
iar cases furnish opportunity, trusting that I may meet with the same 
success as has " My Friend." 



CHAPTER XII. 

Feeding. 

"The practice of feeding bees to stimulate the rearing of brood, is one, 
in my opinion,' of very doubtful policy. I am aware that it is very often 
urged that the feeding of bees in early spring, during any period of honey 
dearth in the summer, or late in the autumn, to promote breeding, and 
thereby secure increase of numbers in the colony, will materially enhance 
the prosperity of the bees, and add to the income of the owner. I believe 
this theory is based upon a false premise. Years ago I tested it fully and 
faithfully, and found in every instance that I had " had my labor for my 
pains." I am unable to speak for those who advocate — and I suppose 
practice — natural swarming and the rearing of queens under the swarm- 
ing impulse, or that other class recommending unscientific and clumsy 
methods of obtaining ' forced queens,' but, with queens bred as advised 
in ' Queen Rearing,' in this work, my own hives are kept well filled with 
brood every season, from April until October. Locality may, and doubt- 
less does, have something to do with this question ; and yet my own loca- 
tion is not a good one for honey, certainly not above, if as good as the av- 
erage. If a colony is deficient in stores, and the adjacent flora yields no 
nectar, feeding of course must be resorted to ; but even in this case, the 
addition of combs of sealed honey is preferable, if they are at command. 
It often occurs that the brood-chamber contains too much honey in early 
spring, thereby circumscribing the area occupied by the queen. This may 
be easily remedied, by drawing a broad knife-blade (a case knife will do) 
across the comb surface with sufficient pressure to break the capping, and 
the honey contained in such combs will speedily be converted into brood. 
This process should be commenced upon combs immediately adjoining 
the outside combs of brood, and if combs containing brood have much 
honey at the ends or in the upper part of the frames, they should be treated 
in like manner. Later in the season, when bees have begun to work in 
surplus receptacles, reversing the combs will more easily, quickly and 
speedily accomplish the desired result. If in autumn, bees have not 
enough stores for wintering, and their owner cannot supply the deficien- 
cy with sealed combs of honey, feeding again becomes necessary. Mr. 
Heddon's new feeder (see chapter on ' Apiarian Implements,') is a perfect 
success for this purpose, and, I may add, for all purposes where feeding 
ever becomes necessary or advisable. Good, pure, well ripened honey, or 
sugar syrup, make the best of winter stores. We make this latter feed 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 35 



by adding four pounds of good, clear hot rain water, to ten pounds of 
sugar, stirring constantly, until dissolved. Before removing from the fire, 
add an even teaspoon of tartaric acid, previously dissolved, for every ten 
pounds of sugar used, stirring briskly for a few moments to secure its 
even and thorough admixture. If the temperature of this syrup be about 
ninety degrees Fahrenheit, when fed, it will be speedily stored and cap- 
ped over by the bees. I believe the best results are attained where the 
least time has been consumed, in feeding for winter stores. This feeding 
should never be done so late in the season as to preclude the bees flying 
freely for several days, after the final 'completion of storing and sealing 
of the food in the combs. 

Another phase of this feeding problem, that has attracted some at- 
tention throughout the country, remains for our consideration. I refer 
to the feeding of liquid honey to be stored in sections, or in other words, 
the conversion of extracted, into comb honey, for market. That this can 
be accomplished, there remains no doubt. 1 have done it myself for the 
past four seasons, but with greatly varying results. The mam question, 
in fact the only one with which we have to deal, is, is it profitable? "Will it 
pay for the labor and expense involved? I will frankly say that this is a 
conundrum which I cannot answer. The feeding of several tons of ex- 
tracted honey, furnishes no key for its solution. I have fed when it seemed 
as though perfect success was'assured, and again, under precisely similar 
conditions for aught I could see, it was altogether a failure. I am at 
present inclined to the belief that there is a law underlying the storing of 
honey, which none of us have yet compassed, and until more definite 
knowledge regarding it and the conditions of success are obtained, I am 
forced to regard feeding for this purpose, unadvisable. It is barely pos- 
sible that feeding to secure the completion of unfinished sections, may 
pay, and thus prove the exception to the rule above given." 

My experience, like that of " My Friend," as given in the foregoing, 
is, that as far as receiving any benefits from "stimulative feeding," I 
don't think I should keep a bee-feeder in my apiary. 

As long as a colony has plenty of stores, or we have combs of honey to 
give them, I prefer scarifying the caps of their honey (or what I think is 
better, reversing their combs) to any other system of stimulation. 

Remember, that in this process of scarifying the caps over the cells 
of sealed honey, it must not be done to an extent disproportionate to the 
strength of the colony. It need not be done so as to cause the combs to drip, 
to any considerable extent. 

In passing the blade over the caps, keep the advanced edge of the 
blade off the comb, merely rubbing down the caps which will be suffic- 
ient to cause the bees to remove them for repairs, which when once begun 
will end in converting much of the honey into brood. 

"My Friend's" formula for sugar syrup for winter stores, contem- 
plates feeding sufficiently early rhat the bees may have time to evaporate 
some of the water from the feed. 

To make a syrup that will be when done, of the consistency of well 
ripened honey, only a scant three pounds of water should be used to every 
ten pounds of granulated sugar. I have never used more than one-half 
the amount of tartaric acid mentioned by "My Friend," but he assures 
me that his practical experience favors that amount. 

I believe Father Quimby among his last labors, was experimenting re- 
garding mixing acid with the winter stores of bees, as a preventive of bee 
diarrhoea, and was forming the opinion that it was well to use it in con- 
siderable quantity. 

I think there can be no harm in using it in the quantity mentioned, 



36 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

and some brands of sugar need a great deal, to warrant no tendency 
towards re-cry stalization. 

While I prefer to have the winter stores capped over, I have known 
cases of successful wintering where hardly any of the stores were sealed. 
For three years I have experimented with feeding back extracted honey 
to complete partly finished sections, and also to produce comb-honey from 
extracted, using full sheets of foundation in the sections. 

" My Friend " has expressed my opinions forced upon me by my ex- 
periments. I am far from advising such a practice. 

To profitably produce comb-honey at the probable prices of the future, 
we cannot afford to do all our work twice over.* We must make the bees 
do as much of the work as possible, using only such implements and fix- 
tures as will accomplish the object sought, with the least care and labor 
on our part. We must depend more upon the qualities of our bees, prac- 
tical adaptability of our implements, skill of manipulation and excellence 
of our honey field. 

In some instances, with the weather and every thing just right, com- 
bined with a thorough knowledge of all the known laws governing the opera- 
tion, "Feeding Back" to complete unfinished sections, might be advis- 
able ; yet it will generally be found best to extract such as are not finish- 
ed sufficiently fit for market, carefully preserving the combs to be used 
during the most copious honey flow, of the fr Uowing season. It certain- 
ly is best for most honey producers, to leave,this question to be settled by 
those who are best able, and most suitably situated to experiment, for 
this is, apparently, one of the knottiest of all the unsolved apicultural 
problems. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Robbing 

" Among the annoyances experienced by the apiarist, in the practical 
management of bees, this one of robbing, often plays an important part ; 
especially is this true where Italian and black colonies, and crosses be- 
tween them, are kept in large numbers, in the same yard ; and if kept in 
adjoining locations, this difficulty is greatly intensified. The observance 
of a few simple rules, will 1 feel sure, largely mitigate this annoyance, or 
prevent it altogether. The oft-repeated injunction to 'keep all stocks 
strong in numbers,' is a good one, yet of still greater importance is it, in 
this respect, never to allow your colonies to long remain in a queenless 
condition. A small colony of bees, normally conditioned— that is, having 
a queen, sufficient stores and brood in all stages of developement— is far 
less liable to be interviewed by the omnipresent robber, than one of four 
times its working force that is hopelessly queenless. Again, the entrances 
of all hives, should be sized to correspond with the working force it con- 
tains ; especially during a moderate yield of nectar, and still more espec- 
ially, immediately following the cessation of a good honey flow, like the 
bass wood harvest, where gathering is often suddenly checked. The man- 
ipulation of extracted combs that contained basswood honev, especially, 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 37 



at such times, requires the greatest degree of caution. The same holds 
equally true of extracted combs of the previous season, that are again 
brought into use for the first time. In this, as in many other of the prac- 
tical affairs of life, a small amount of prevention, is of more value than a 
large quantity of cure, however potent the remedy may be. 

Only those apiarists can appreciate the full force of this suggestion, 
who, through accident or other cause, have had this robbing propensity 
thoroughly aroused, and experienced the pandemonium state of affairs 
that ensued. Surely, then came the time when all was not L quiet upon the 
Potomac,' but rather, it was the ' terrors of the wilderness.' 

If from any cause, bees have been allowed to get into a despondent 
condition through queenlessness, their courage may be at once revived by 
the addition of a comb or two of brood. While these combs should con- 
tain brood in all stages of developement, it is important that the major por- 
tion should be hatching bees, or approximating that stage as nearly as' 
possible. 

When the robbing of a colony has fairly begun, contract the entrance 
to a single bee passage, and a few gentle raps upon the hive will often 
arouse them to an effectual resistance. If however the besieged bees 
have capitulated, close the entrance altogether, and remove the hive to _ 
some cool place. After dark, give them a new location in the apiary, ' 
smoking thoroughly, and the trouble is ended. It sometimes occurs that 
bees in a normal condition, will permit a moderate amount of robbing to 
go quietlv on, apparently unnoticed. Contract the entrance to such col- 
onies, smoke thoroughly at nightfall, and the would-be robbers Vill meet 
with a surprisingly warm reception on the following morning." 

" My Friend's " injunction to exercise the greatest care, not to let rob- 
bers get the first taste of ill'gotten gains, cannot be too carefully heeded. 
]N early the whole problem hinges upon this point. In my own exper- 
ience, I have not found the brown German bees, nor their crosses with 
Italians, any more,,if as much inclined to rob, as pure Italians ; but it is 
true thai; the smaller black German strain of bees, are by far, the most 
inclined to robbing. 

I have found it true that bees will make more desperate and success- 
ful attacks upon colonies outside of their own apiary. I presume the 
cause for this, is that when they go long distances to rob, they establish 
a line of flight that is of sufficient length to at once attract bees from oth- 
er colonies, until in many cases, nearly a whole apiary will join in rob- 
bing out another. Where robbing has occurred in my own apiary, I have 
noticed that the colony of defence is usually located some considerable 
distance from the one of attack. 

" My Friend's " practice of placing the robbed colony on a new stand, 
after removing it from the cellar, struck me as a -dangerous one, fearing 
that many bees might be lost by returning to the old location ; but he in- 
forms me that in no case in his experience, has he ever known the bees to 
so desert, and he thinks the reason they do not, is because of the excite- 
ment caused by the robbing, and the presence of robbers in the hive, 
which after their confinement, mostly remain and strengthen the colony. 
When I had ascertained that only one colony was doing most of the rob- 
bing of another, and just which one it was, I have stopped the nefarious 
business at once, by changing stands with them. You will see what sur- 
prise and confusion must occur. After all, the best cure, is prevention. 



38 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



CHAPTER XIV. 
Bee-Enemies. 

" Under this head I propose to group a few thoughts upon the diseas- 
es and enemies of bees, that seem to be of particular interest to the spec- 
ialist. The bee-moth that cut so important a .figure many years ago, in 
the destruction of brood-combs, both occupied* and unoccupied by bees, 
has, by the introduction of movable frames and Italian bees, been strip- 
ped of its terrors. Still it is an ever present enemy, and requires watch- 
ful care on the part of the bee-keeper. Even with movable frames that 
admit of easy inspection, they still infest the domain of black bees, caus- 
ing more or less damage. I have never been able to carry a single col- 
, ony of these bees through the working season, without the presence of 
the moth-worm in their brood-combs, doing considerable damage to the 
sealed brood, no matter how strong in numbers they might be. Upon the 
other hand, the Italians are almost perfectly moth-proof. I have known 
queenless colonies that were reduced to a mere handful in numbers, by 
the natural causes of depletion, to keep their combs entirely free from 
worms. Would we be likely to ever have such an instance of comb pro- 
tection, with black bees V I deem it important to allow no refuse comb 
to lie around with which to breed the moth- worm. Care in this regard 
will reduce its depredations to the minimum. 

Combs that are subjected to a temperature of twenty-two degrees be- 
low the freezing point, will remain free from worms until again occupied 
by bees, provided the moth-miller cannot gain access to them. Upon the 
other hand, brood-combs taken from the bees in warni weather, will soon 
be infested with worms unless kept in a very cool atmosphere, which re- 
tards their development. 

The loss of bees from being caught by birds, is, I think, too small to 
be computed. In my own locality the law to prevent the destruction of 
birds is rigorously enforced, resulting in a marked increase of their num- 
bers ; yet the consumption of bees by birds, is hardly appreciable. I am 
inclined to the belief that they regard live bees as rather too peppery an 
article of food excepting, perhaps, for the purpose of seasoning their regu- 
lar diet. 

Where bees are kept in large numbers, (occasionally the same thing 
happens where the colonies do not exceed fifteen or twenty) a disease, I 
term ' Bee Paralysis,' sometimes makes its appearance. It affects but few 
colonies. Whether it would increase and spread throughout the apiary, 
if left unmolested, I cannot say, my experience with bee diseases hav- 
ing taught me that degree of caution that takes no chances of this nature. 
This disease affects the bees only — not the brood. The affected bees may 
be seen at the entrance and in front of the hive during the day ; are dark 
and shiney in appearance, manifesting a greatly impaired vitality. The 
wings have a peculiar vibratory or trembling motion, and the bees have 
a generally sick appearance. I believe the cause to be inherent in the 
queen, as requeening the colony with pure Italian blood, always effectual- 
ly checks the progress of the disease ; and when the population of the hive 
consists of the progeny of the new queen, it ceases altogether. So far as 
my own observation extends, it is most liable to occur after a severe win- 
ter, and in colonies largely depleted in numbers, the spring previous. 

I now come to a brief consideration of that most fatal and dreaded 
disease of bees— foul brood ; and in doing this, I shall simply relate my 
own experience. 

: '!While passing through my apiary one day in early August, (this was 
many years ago) a peculiar odor from a certain hive greeted my olf actor- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 39 



ies. Upon examination, I found the colony (judging from what I had 
read of the disease) to be in an advanced stage of 'Foul Brood,' and a 
careful consultation of the then recognized authorities, fully confirmed 
my apprehensions. I now remembered having given another colony a 
frame of brood from this infected one, some eight or ten days before. 
- Was that, too, diseased?' I lost no time in examining, only to find that 
its brood was in the same condition, but in a less advanced stage. Here, 
then, was a dilemma. That it was a genuine case of malignant foul brood, 
there was no doubt. How to get rid of the dreaded malady, was now the 
all important and momentous question. (I will here state that a thorough 
examination of the entire apiary, numbering over one hundred and fifty 
colonies, upon the two days succeeding its first discovery, revealed no 
trace of any diseased larvae, except in the instances already given.) Mr. 
M. Quimby, who was the recognized American authority of his time, up- 
on this subject, recommended the removal of all combs from diseased 
colonies, keeping the bees confined without food for twenty-four to thir- 
ty-six hours, when they were to be placed in clean empty hives and al- 
lowed to build new combs. If little or no honey was being gathered at 
the time, resort to feeding, became necessary. The honey was to be ex- 
tracted, and when heated to a temperature of two hundred degrees, could 
be fed with impunity. All the combs of the hive were to be rendered into 
wax, and the hive itself thoroughly scalded, to destroy any diseased germs 
that might remain. In this way, Mr. Quimby assured me, the disease had 
been practically eradicated in his'own apiary and he had no doubt of its 
entire success, if properly carried out by myself. Realizing the necessity 
of prompt action, I removed the bees from the combs of the two infected 
colonies, the same day Mr. Quimby 's letter was received ; kept them con- 
fined thirty-six hours without food, and then hived them in new hives as 
directed ; the old hives and combs were buried beyond resurrection. 

The mother of the colony in which the disease was first developed 
was a black queen, fertilized by a hybrid drone two years before, 
and was unusually prolific. When again examined, nine days af- 
terward, more than three-fourths of the larvae from this queen was hope- 
lessly diseased — the other colony was badly affected also, although not to 
the same extent. A re-examination of the apiary at this time, disclosed 
the fact that eleven more colonies were also diseased, and hastening 
— what was to all appearances — a general ruin. Perhaps the reader may 
imagine something of the feelings of one, at this juncture, whose bread 
and butter depended largely upon honey production, for even at that time 
I was earning a livelihood by making a specialty of bee-culture. 

Convinced of the utter futility of further experiments upon the basis 
already begun, I turned to the east for some light upon the perplexing 
problem. I had learned that Dzierzon, the great bee-master of Germany, 
had successfully combatted the disease in his own apiary, and believed he 
had obtained its complete mastery ; and from the Bienen-Zeitung — the 
German bee-journal— I learned his method of accomplishing so desir- 
able a result. This process (somewhat modified by myself, as will, 
be seen by those familiar with Dzierzon's directions), was immediately 
put in practice, with what result, the sequel will reveal. I resolved to 
destroy no more bees, their combs nor hives, so long as there remained 
one ray of hope of saving any portion of the apiary, and if matters grew 
worse until 'hoping against hope,' was utterly useless, then the entire 
yard should be' sacrificed upon one grand ' funeral pile ' to appease this 
relentless Moloch. 

The first step taken was the immediate destruction of the queens of 
all infected colonies. Mne days afterward, all the queen-cells were re- 
moved, and this was repeated six days later, shaking the bees from every 
comb, to make sure that none were overlooked. All were now hopelessly 
queenless. A frame of eggs and just hatching larvae was given them, al- 
lowing each colony to rear its own queen, the object of this, being to 
give the bees ample time to clean up their combs, before the young queens 
began to lay. If any diseased larvae remained in the cells twenty-one 
days after the destruction of the old queen, I carefully removed it with 



40 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

the head of a large pin. By this process, there was a period of about 
thirty-rive to forty days, with no eggs being deposited in the combs, and 
developing no larvae to feed the disease. Of the twenty-three colonies 
thus treated, the disease re-appeared in only two, and the queens of these 
were mated with black drones, and 1 am confident that some germs of the 
disease remained in these combs. A repetition of the above process, 
eradicated the last vestige of the disease from the apiary ; I have never 
discovered one symptom of it since. 

The spread of the disease was rapid ; within three weeks from the dis- 
covery of the first diseased colony; twenty-two more were on the road to 
ruin. All these colonies contained old queens — two to three years— and 
all, without even one exception, were more or less tinctured with black 
blood— in most of the cases it preponderated. Can the reader longer 
marvel at my strong preference— seemingly almost a mania in the absence 
of this explanation— for young queens of pure Italian blood?" 

It seems that "My Friend" and I differ somewhat, regarding the 
merits of the German versus Italian bees. I account for this upon 
the ground that he has never been in possession of the best strains of the 
former. I believe that no one can excel me, in my disgust for the little, 
irritable black "bees. But the large brown bees, are the Germans, that 
possess the many valuable characteristics spoken of under the head of 
" Varieties of Bees." It is true that moths are tolerated by all German # 
bees,'to a greater extent than by Italians, but it is also true, at least in ' 
my experience, that all the trouble arising from their work in colonies of 
normal strength may be fitly compared to the depredations committed by 
martins, king birds, etc. Any good colony will hatch more bees in 
one day, than all the birds in any one locality will catch in a month. So 
it is with my experience with German colonies, kept in normal condition ; 
we forget that there is any such an enemy as the bee-moth. 

If bee-moths are necessary to stimulate the apiarist to keep his combs 
well covered with bees, then they are to the honey producer, what weeds 
are to the shiftless farmer, who, but for them, would never stir his soil. 
There are other and far more important reasons for keeping hives crowd- 
ed with bees, than those connected with this moth. 

Having never seen a case of foul brood, I will say but little upon the 
subject. I will only add, that from what I had read, I had supposed the 
disease was more malignant than it seems to have been in the case related 
in " My Friend's " experience. , Such an experience must be most gratify- 
ing to him who realizes it. As is the case with robbing — " an ounce of pre- 
vention is worth a pound of cure" — yes, many pounds, and we cannot be 
too careful how we exchange any goods connected with the apiary, that 
might carry the germs. 

Do not buy queens, bees, combs, or in fact, any apiarian goods, from 
anyone, until you have' inquired into this matter. Certainly no honest 
man would send out the germs of foul brood, knowingly, but there is 
enough dishonesty and ignorance connected with our pursuit, I am sorry 
to say, to spread more foul brood than we care to have extant. Again, I 
would urge— be careful ! 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTUBE. 41 



CHAPTER XV. 
Over Stocking-. 

Let us first define what is meant by the term. I consider a locality, 
or honey area, over stocked, when it contains so many colonies, that a less 
number would pay a larger dividend upon the capital and labor therein 
invested. 

I wish I could throw some light upon this obscure and important sub- 
ject. I wish I knew something definite, about the most profitable num- 
ber of colonies to keep in one average urea, or honey field. 

I had thought to confine this subject to these six words—" I don't 
know anything about it." I do not know as it will prove of any benefit 
to the reader, to dilate upon the different kinds or number of blossoms 
found in any given area. (By the term "area," or "honey field," we 
mean that area over which the bees of one apiary will usually work to 
advantage , which in ordinary locations, I believe consists of a nearly cir- 
cular field, varying from six to eight miles in diameter, and probably con- 
taining from twenty-five to thirty thousand acres.) I presume it is of lit- 
tle use to tell of the number of individual bees usually contained in an 
average colony ; of how many blossoms one bee often visits, before he be- 
comes loaded, and returns to the hive; of how much more nectar blos- 
soms contain at one time, than at another ; of the fact that a bee cannot 
tell whether or not a blossom has been emptied by another, until he 
wastes time reaching down into the emptied nectaries. All of these, and 
many more points relative to this subject, have been thought of and dis- 
cussed by many of our most experienced apiarists, and still they differ so 
widely in their conclusions, that we are left to believe that their means 
of gaining the much desired, and valuable knowledge, have been too im- 
perfect to be of much practical use to their brother bee-keepers. It is a 
subject that has everything to do with the success or failure of the spec- 
ialist ; yes, and of the amateur as well, in many localities. It is one that 
1 have been much interested in, and watched closely, for fifteen years. 
I have eagerly snatched and devoured all the thoughts of others that 
I could come in contact with, both in print and conversation, and yet I 
feel almost entirely in the dark regarding it. 

One of the senior members of our fraternity used to believe and ad- 
vocate, that no more than six to ten colonies should occupy one area. At 
the same time he put down the surface of that area, of a size that was so 
small that we know bees almost prefer going farther, to stopping within 
its borders ; hence we feel sure that this very conservative writer, was 
mistaken. I will now offer seeming evidence of a little different nature, 
and what to me carries more weight, although it argues on both sides of 
the question. 

Ifou, who have carefully read reports, have noticed that by far the 



42 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



greatest pro rata surplus honey yields, have come from those keeping 
but few colonies. The same is true of their increase of stock. If I re- 
member correctly, I have never seen one-half the pro rata yield of honey 
and increase reported from an apiary of forty colonies or over, that has 
been many times claimed for from three to fifteen colonies. Reports 
have been very marked in this direction. I have no doubt but that as a 
rule, the larger apiaries are worked the closest and best, which further 
points to the ease with which a location may be over stocked. 

Now let us look at the other side of the question. By the rapidity 
with which a colony when breeding, will consume a frame of honey, 
weighing four or five pounds net, we think we are safe in saying that 
more than one hundred pounds of honey is annually consumed by a nor- 
mal colony of bees (this includes winter as well as summer consumption). 

In Father LangstrotLfs comprehensive treatise, " The Hive and Hon- 
ey Bee," page 304, among other statistical records of like import, we find 

the following : 

" East Friesland, a province of Holland, containing 1,200 square miles, 
maintains an average of 2,000 colonies per square mile." 

If this statement, or any of the others contained on the same page 
are true, (they are given by the author as statistics) then it seems time 
wasted to talk about over stocking. According to that record, I can keep 
over 50,000 colonies in one apiary, and all will gather sufficient stores to 
be self supporting. Certainly, 10,000 to 25,000 colonies would give us a 
nice pro rata surplus, and an overwhelming and unheard of aggregate 
yield. According to another statistical report, found on the same page, I 
find I can keep 35,000 colonies in one apiary, and expect a nice pro rata 
surplus yield, for the best authorities declare that our country excels those 

of Europe, for the secretion of honey. 

I presume that colonies differ widely, in their vigor or bravery in go- 
ing long distances from the hives after honey, When it cannot be obtained 
nearer home. Certainly this trait can be easilv bred up to a high degree of 
development. No doubt it has been largely developed by those who have bred 
for honey gathering qualities, rather than for physical markings, because 
it is at once one of the prime causes of honey storing success, in a colony 

of bees. 

It costs me nearly twenty per cent, more to manage my out apiary 

(six miles away), than it would to work the same number of colonies in 
my home apiary, with those already here. 

If over stocking is practically impossible, I can produce at my home 
apiary, all the honey I am getting from my out apiary, in addition to what 
I now get here, for less than one-half of the expense that it now costs me. 
It seems to me that no thinking apiarist can fail to see the great advan- 
tage of a thorough solution of this problem. However it may be correct- 
ly answered, there are many good reasons why it will not pay two bee- 
keepers to work in the same area, or honey field. Breeding, robbing, 
etc., are all outside factors that must be taken into account, and further, 
it is a fact that long before a field is over stocked, according to our defi- 
nition of the term, the pro rata yield begins to lessen in quantity. Besides 
this, honey producing in a small way cannot compete with specialty, and 
as there are so many rich, unoccupied fields still to be had for the taking, 
no two specialists should think of occupying the same field. 



STJCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 43 

I am again determined to add my mite to answering the question, by 
continually increasing the number of my colonies, until a term of seasons, 
whose natural advantages and disadvantages, all considered, shall tell me 
something of this obscure problem. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
Artificial Pasturage. 

Different locations throughout our country, contain so many differ- 
ent varieties of nectar secreting trees, shrubs, and plants, that I have 
deemed it best not to write a long chapter on honey plants. I could not in 
this little work, expect to do the subject justice, even were I competent; 
besides, the subject has been so well handled by Prof. Cook, Thomas G. 
Newman and A. I. Root, in their respective works on bee-culture, that 
nothing of the kind is needed, in adding another book to the bee-keepers' 
library. I wish however, to present a few thoughts in regard to planting 
for honey. 

I think it may safely be laid down as a rule that it will hardly pay to' 
occupy valuable land by planting it to anything, exclusively for honey. 
No doubt there are instances in certain locations, specially adapted to the 
plants, when the sowing of such seeds as produce otherwise valuable 
crops as well as honey, will pay. We might mention buckwheat and Al- 
sike clover, as belonging to this class. However, I have most faith in the 
improvement of our honey field, by way of scattering broad cast, in waste 
places, the seeds of such honey yielding plants as combine the following 
otherwise good qualities: — First, tenacity. That is, they will hold the 
ground against weeds and grasses, increasing in numbers each year, when 
left .entirely to themselves. Second, when their destruction becomes 
desirable, they can be plowed under and at once eradicated. Third, free 
from thorns or prickers, in other words, in no way objectionable when al- 
lowed to spread at will. 

Most locations contain within the area of the bee-keepers' field, hun- 
dreds of acres of what may be termed waste ground, which is occupied 
year after year, by weeds, none of which are of much, if any value, and 
many are truly obnoxious to humanity. Certainly, he who supplants 
these by honey plants possessing the qualities above mentioned, not only 
augments his own interest, but in a broader sense is benefiting all 
humanity. 

I know of just two plants that yield honey copiously, in my location, 
and which possess the qualifications before mentioned. First, pleurisy 
or butterfly weed, and second, Mellilot clover. I am not sure but 
that it would pay to occupy land of average value, suited to their growth, 
by sowing it exclusively to these excellent honey yielders. In the case of 
Mellilot clover, the land would need to be of good quality. It thrives best 
on gravel and prairie soils ; gravel seems to be a favorite with it. If put 
on poor land it takes offense immediately, and in my opinion never pays 



44 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

for planting. Usually the plants never mature. JSTot so at all, with the 
pleurisy, it delights in poor, sandy land. 

I know of many fields, so poor that they are entirely neglected, where 
pleurisy is rapidly taking possession of the ground. The fact that it is a 
perennial, is a double assurance of its successfully running out weeds and 
grasses. It seems to be a laughing matter for it to spring up through a 
sod of June grass, growing as luxuriantly as if cultivated, and slowly in- 
creasing from year to year. The seeds each have a balloon, like dande- 
lion or thistle seeds, which insures its successful dissemination. 

The plants differ widely in their period of blooming, so that notwith- 
standing it blossoms with basswood, it also remains to fill the gap of hon- 
ey secretion between basswood and fall flowers. I noticed its first ap- 
pearance about three years ago, when but few specimens could be found. 
Through perfect fertilization by the bees, it has so rapidly increased each 
year, that now we have no sudden cessation of honey flow, or robbing, 
after basswood. From the time it begins to bloom, bees visit it constant- 
ly, never neglecting it through the most bountiful yields from basswood or 
clover. As yet there is not enough of these plants in our locality to pro- 
duce a surplus, and press of business has prevented us taking special 
pains to test the quality of the honey it furnishes. I think by another 
year, it will afford us a surplus. It belongs to the milkweed family, yet 
possesses none of its objectionable features. Bees move from blossom to- 
blossom, as freely as when working upon white clover. I think it yields 
no pollen. 

I have never seen a cut of this plant, and as engravings of honey plants 
are usually more unlike the original, than the engravings of other things, 
I have decided not to have one made. 

For a perfect description of the plant, under the name given, I will re- 
fer you to any of the works on botany. 

Descriptions and engravings of Mellilot clover, are too common to be 
needed here. The same may be said of the praise that justly belongs to 
it. I feel that I can hardly say anything too highly praiseworthy of these 
two plants, nor recommend them too highly, to those whose climate and 
soil are adapted to them. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Comb, or Extracted Honey? 

We often hear the question asked, which is the most profitable to pro- 
duce, extracted, or comb honey? A moments reflection will tell us, " as 
plain as ever rxuth was told," that for the whole fraternity, for a term of 
years, there can be no difference in the amount of profit to be derived 
from these two classes of surplus honey production. I am of the opinion 
that the matter is so nearly adjusted, to-day, that each and everyone 
should be governed according to his knowledge of the laws of honey pro- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 45 



duction, and the fitness of his climate and flora. At present, it is no 
donbt, best to put all dark grades of surplus honey into the extracted 
form. While the difference in price, between bright comb and extracted 
honey, is quite in favor of the former, it is just the reverse, regarding 
the dark grades. Dark, or amber colored honey, commands but little 
higher price in combs than in barrels, while the difference in price is quite 
in favor of bright honey in sections of combs where the producer is equip- 
ped with the requisite implements, and knowledge of how to manipulate 
them. 

It is now generally conceded by our most experienced producers, that 

extracted honey, to make a good, sweet sauce, should be ripe and thick. 
It is furthermore agreed that, all considered, the best, as well as most 
economical method of accomplishing this result is to leave the honey in 
the combs with the bees until the cells are partly, or all sealed, or capped 
over. Even then, if the capping is hastily done, and the honey extracted 
at once, thereafter, it is liable to lose its smooth, oily consistency and fine 
flavor, so highly appreciated by consumers. 

You will see that this method of producing extracted honey, requires 
almost as much time and labor upon the part of the bees, as to draw 
out foundation in sections, and cap it over, completely. 

Considering the fact that extracted honey must compete, more or less, 
with syrups, butter, etc., while comb honey has really no competitor, it 
is not strange that it should bring more than double the price of extract- 
ed, and that the difference in price should be widening. In view of these 
facts, and other signs of the times, I believe it advisable, for the good of 
each and all of our honey producers, that all should put most of their 
bright honey into comb, and their dark, into the extracted form. 

If our entire crop of extracted honey is to be sold in bulk, it may be 
truthfully said, that there is more work about running an apiary for comb, 
than for extracted honey ; but it is also true that such a comparatively 
large portion of the work connected with the best methods of comb hon- 
ey production, is done indoors, and at times, when labor is worth less than 
one-half what it is during the rush of the season, and further, much of 
this indoors work can be performed by cheap, and less experienced labor, 
all this taken into consideration, I prefer the labor connected with the 
production of comb, to that of extracted honey. This is assuming that 

the work in both cases is to be done as it should be, and at the proper 
time. 

Here in latitude forty-two degrees, at least two-thirds of our 
surplus is bright, on an average. For six years I produced extracted 
honey, as the bulk of my crop; then I reversed, and raised comb honey, 
almost exclusively, about eight years. For the past two seasons I have 
produced both, in nea-rly equal quantity and have now decided to make 
comb honey my main crop, hereafter. 

" But," I hear someone say, '•' more bees will go to the fields when the 
combs are extracted, and no comb-builders are needed at home, hence we 
must get more honey when the extractor is used." Doubtless this is true, 
but it is equally a fact, that I can keep a greater number of colonies with- 
out over stocking my field, when devoted to comb honey storing, and 
without a corresponding increase of labor in caring for them ; hence I'll 
keep more bees, and raise the higher priced honey. 



46 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Adulteration. 

Upon this subject, as upon some others, Tarn aware that I entertain 
opinions differing from those held by many of my friends — men whose in- 
telligence commands the respect of all. I have heard them give the rea- 
sons for their opinions, and yet we widely differ. 

I consider it a duty I owe the reader and one he will thank me for 
performing, to give my honest opinion upon this, as well as all other sub- 
jects. I believe we all agree that such arrangements should exist in 
society, that the truth shall be told, and all goods should be labeled just 
what they are. 

Eegarding the advantages of pure, wholesome and honest food, quite 
likely we do not differ, but as it is a fact that secretly mixing articles of 
food is a common practice in this country, and that with our commodity, 
honey, an exceedingly small portion of that found upon the markets is 
also mixed with some cheaper commodity, the question arises, "what 
shall we do about it'?" My answer to this question, is, " keep perfectly 
still." If this mixed article is better than the genuine, there is nothing 
we can conscientiously say ; if it is inferior, consumers will soon discover 
it, and in making their purchases, will govern themselves accordingly. 
Thus it seems to me, there is ho need for bee-keepers to agitate the ques- 
tion. I do not object to such agitation because of the trouble and expense 
arising from it, but for the reason it tends to frighten consumers, and has 
done so in the past, to that extent that the prevailing opinion regarding 
the adulteration of our product is magnified twenty-fold beyond the facts 
in the case. 

I think our whole duty, and best policy is to take advantage of every 
proper occasion, when the subject is forced upon us, to inform consum- 
ers of the fact that they might have to go a long ways, and take great 
pains, to become possessed of a single can of adulterated honey. Of course 
adulterating increases the supply, but so little otitis practiced nowadays, 
since producers have taken small packages into the apiary, and out of the 
city honey houses, that as a source of supply, it does not for one moment 
compare with the increase in production arising from recruits in our 
business. 

Another point is, that the city dealers, the mixers, have done much to 
introduce and encourage the consumption of honey. 

No bee-keeper can adulterate honey with profit. If the article was a 
staple, like wheat, corn or potatoes, and the demand endless, adulteration 
might pay him for a time ; but in that case he would soon drop the pro- 
duction of the pure article, becoming a specialist at mixing, the same as 
have all other adulterators. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 47 



I think consumers are now pretty well convinced that only genuine 
honey can be procured from producers, and the less we agitate the sub- 
ject, the better for our interests. 



CHAPTER XIX. 
Marketing. 

"If the reader has carefully observed the directions elsewhere given in 
this work, for securing surplus honey, and has been diligent in their 
practice, his efforts, aided by nature in the secretion of nectar, have 
doubtless been crowned with success. With this part of the bee-cam- 
paign brought to a satisfactory issue, there yet remains another problem 
for solution, of scarcely less importance — the conversion of this surplus 
crop of honey, into cash. In the good old times, when honey, stored in 
bulky and unsightly packages, readily sold for twenty-five to thirty cents 
per pound, and even at this price sought out the producer, the problem 
of marketing was one of easy solution ; but since the philanthropic efforts 
to induce everybody to keep bees and secure the boundless sweets of na- 
ture, rather than let them waste their perfume on ' the desert air,' have 
resulted in the establishment of an apiary at every cross-roads in the 
country, and thereby enormously increased the production of honey — the 
problem is no longer so easily solved. Notwithstanding, that the pound- 
section of to-day, is in point of attractiveness and adaptability, to the 
wants of the consumer, the embodiment of perfection, compared with the 
package of twenty years ago, honey no longer ' sells itself.' The purchas- 
er must now be sought, persistently and patiently, and even then our efforts 
are not always rewarded with success. In former times the producer 
named the price of his product ; but that prerogative is now exercised by 
the purchaser. It is simply a change of position between producer and 
purchaser, and such has been the history of over-production in every land, 
in all the ages of the past. 

Twenty years ago, when honey commanded thirty cents per pound, 
it was a luxury ; to-day, when it seeks a purchaser at less than half that 
figure, it is a luxury still, and in the very nature of things it must forev- 
er remain a luxury. The combined efforts of all the producers and all 
the dealers handling it, can never change the inexorable law that makes 
it such. As a table-sauce, honey, in a moderate way, is a success ; aside 
from this, it is in quantity, an utter failure. For all other purposes, it 
must ever compete with the products of the sugar-cane, and at a price 
ruinous to the producer, save, perhaps now and then an isolated local- 
ity, with unusually fayorable conditions for cheap production, in very 
large quantities. 

But the practical problem for the great mass of producers, still seeks 
a solution — ' how can I dispose of my surplus honey?' First, we have the 
home market, although a small item usually, it is is nevertheless an im- 
portant factor, inasmuch as the disposition of even a small portion of our 
products, assists in the final result. Always keeping the local demand 
well supplied, is advisable, as to that extent you withdraw from and re- 
lieve the commercial centers. When the wholesale markets are depressed, 
they will re-act against your home trade, for you cannot hope to keep the 
local price much above that of the metropolis. 

In seeking a distant market for honey, always sell for spot cash, if 
possible ; but as this can rarely be done, the next best thing is to consign 
to some reliable commission house and allow them to exercise their best 
judgment in its disposition. Your 'commission man' knows in finitely 
more about the condition of the market and at what price your product 



48 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

can be disposed of, than you possibly can yourself, notwithstanding your 
opinion to the contrary. Speaking of reliable commission men. reminds 
us of the farmer, who, upon taking a grist to mill, informed the miller 
that as he (the farmer) was a reasonable man, all he asked was the toll; 
the miller might keep the grist himself. It is much the same way with 
commission houses. In some instances I have deemed myself fortunate 
in receiving even the commission. , 

But the peculiarly immaculate reputation of the business is now and 
then relieved by an honest commission man, who will remit you the 'lion's 
share ' of the proceeds, instead of retaining it himself. By what name 
this isolated specimen of the genus homo is known, in the community in 
which he lives, you can doubtless ascertain by repeated and liberal con- 
signments. If your experience be of a costly nature, you can have the 
solace that the knowledge derived will be valuable. 

In the preparation of your products for market, I take it for granted 
that you already realize the very great value of neat, attractive packages. 
At the present time when competition has become so strong, this is of 
prime importance. To this I may add — don'i; be in a hurry to ship honey 
to city markets. If shipped in July and August, when the market is well 
supplied with fresh fruits, it will not sell, in any quantity, but must 
necessarily lay around and become soiled and grimy , waiting for a pur- 
chaser, and thus become unsalable. About the first of October is early 
enough to begin shipping to northern markets. As a ride, small consign- 
ments are the safest, as you run less risk from losses by the evanescent 
commission man's hieing away to ' scenery new, and pastures green." 

Every bee-keeper who produces more honey than his local demand 
will take — in fact, every specialist, begins to feel that production is in ad- 
vance of demand. He notices that the old enthusiasm on the part of buy- 
ers, is dying. Many are the ways that they try to account for this unsatisfac- 
tory state of affairs. Some lay it to the practice of adulterating honey 
with sugar and glucose, notwithstanding the fact that liquid honey is now 
scarcely higher priced than sugar, and people are knowingly consum- 
ing glucose by the hundreds of barrels, in nearly every locality where 
commercial syrups are used. Others charge it to the use of comb foun- 
dation, forgetting that this commodity was used long before any such 
weakness of the honey markets took place. When our commission mer- 
chants are forced to put out weak quotations, they are in the habit of giv- 
ing some reason for the low figures presented. What do these men say'? 
Anything about adulteration, or comb foundation? Nothing. They say, 
"•the crop is so plentiful." " California honey has come in, in car-loads." 

As " My Friend" has said, " honey is a luxury," and it seems to me, 
ever will be, at any price at which we can afford to supply it, and as with 
all luxuries, it is easy to overstock the market. 

What " My Friend " says of commission men, is too true of too many 
of them, but I am glad to.be able to state that my experience with some 
of them has been quite satisfact6ry. My greatest objection to dealing 
through them, is the great lapse of time occurring between shipping, and 
receiving returns. I most heartily recommend selling out and out, for 
cash, wherever and whenever such sales can be consummated. 

I will not speak of styles of packages, for, as which are best, depends 
so much upon the market upon which they are to be placed; besides, I 
never saw a package for extracted honey, that exactly suited me. All 
are too high priced, for the present price of the commodity they contain. 
As for comb honey, the sections and crates, described in another chapter, 
are the best marketing packages that I know anything about. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 49 



The reader may feel disappointed at not finding something in this 
chapter, relative to the styles of packages best adapted to retail markets. 
Also something abont honey stands, for grocery stores, etc. So far, my 
experience with honey stands has been a failure. Different markets de- 
mand different size packages for both comb and extracted honey . In many 
markets, small bottles and jars, holding one and two pounds each, sell 
well. Since honey sells at so low a price, I have found it impossible to 
procure a package suitable for retailing extracted honey, the cost of which 
is not greatly disproportionate to the cost of its contents. I feel that it is 
best to leave the matter of a choice of size and style of retail packages, to 
each producer, who will be governed by his own peculiar local demand. 
Comb honey usually sells best in sections, weighing not more than one 
pound, nor less than one-half pound each. I find quite a little demand 
for the smaller size. I always expect to produce from one-fourth to one- 
half of my crop, in this size section. 

I find that small shipping crates, sell best. They also transport more 
safely. I use a crate (see crates, in chapter on apiarian implements) that 
holds an average of twelve pounds net. I never remember of having 
reported but two being damaged in transit. I always ship by freight 
(unless in very small quantities) and consider it the safest and cheapest 
way. 

It is bad policy to make haste to get your honey into market before 
others do, as it always happens that others are attempting the same 
thing, and a temporary " glut" results, which often weakens the market 
for that season. Cool weather is a great promoter of the demand for 
honey. 



CHAPTER XX. 
The Apiarian Supply Trade. 

Closely connected with the success of the bee-keeper, is his relation 
to the trade in bee-keepers supplies. Every judicious apiarist, will see 
the advantage of purchasing many useful, nay, necessary implements, 
that he can buy of the special manufacturer, much cheaper than he can 
make them. It is also true that many of our honey producers can manu- 
facture their hives and some other fixtures, at less cost than they can pur- 
chase them from far away dealers. Much depends, however, upon the 
local price of raw material, nearness to good accurate machinery and the 
skill of the bee-keeper, or his mechanic. 

Bunglingly constructed implements, are not cheap at any price. Es- 
pecially, is this true of iiives. An illy constructed hive, either in pattern 
or workmanship, is forever an annoyance to both owner and inmates; 
many stings, that would otherwise be avoided, are among the necessary 
results, while manipulating them. 

It is also of interest to both vendor and purchaser, that orders should 
not bs concentrated into a short period of the season, but spread over as 



5U SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

much time as possible. There is prevalent among honey producers, an 
extravagant idea regarding the profits realized by dealers in apiarian sup- 
plies. Their present profits are small, and their rapidly increasing num- 
bers, will as rapidly decrease, in the near future. No legitimate class of 
dealers, can succeed better than those who support them. The time will 
never come when our supply trade will be a better business than honey 
producing, for any except those that are better adapted to it, and the 
same will be true of the production of honey. When honey production 
paid a handsome profit, so did the sale of supplies. As a dealer, I had 
rather have a few well-paid producers to trade with, than a host of ill- 
paid, and failing ones. 

" My Friend," being a dealer in bee-keepers' supplies, as well as a 

practical honey producer, at my solicitation presents the following, upon 

this subject : 

"In the 'good old times' (not so very old in lapse of years) of box 
hives, brimstone and bee-bread flavored honey, the purchase and sale of 
articles for the apiary was practically unknown ; the apiarian supply trade 
was one of the things to be — in the future. But the invention and intro- 
duction of movable frame hives, stimulated the inventive genius of the 
apiarist and other articles and appliances of more or less value were add- 
ed to our list of requisites, and presently a new phase of commercial life 
was ' evoluted,' and ' dealers in bee-keepers' supplies,' took their place in 
the ranks of those who carry on the world's industries. From the small 
beginnings of a score of years ago, this supply trade has developed into 
then undreamed of proportions, and a few thoughts relative thereto, may 
be of some value to all concerned. 

It may not be out of place to observe at the outset, that bee-keepers, 
as a class, possess but hcile practical knowledge of commercial life. 
From the very necessities of the case — education, training and environ- 
ment — their ideas are often meagre, crude and erroneous, respecting this 
subject. However bright and apt they may be in the pursuits in which 
they have been trained, they have only skirmished around the borders of 
the whys and wherefores of commercial life, and remembering that the 
major portion of the business men 'fail up,' sooner or later, we readily 
perceive that only occasionally is one of our owa ranks possessed of the 
natural and acquired qualifications to successfully engage in this supply 
trade. Tact, energy, perseverance, a due amount of caution, a thorough 
knowledge of the laws of trade and ample capital are all necessary to in- 
sure success. 

The idea that the supply trade is the royal road to wealth, seems to 
have obtained with a large class of American bee-keepers.. That the 
prices of eight or ten years ago, admitted of fair, or even handsome mar- 
gins to the dealer, there can be little doubt; but the close competition 
of recent years, has reduced profits to the minimum. Pew people not con- 
versant with the details- of this supply business, are aware of the neces- 
sary expenses incurred in advertising, postage, rent, fixtures, interest, etc., 
etc., to say nothing of the worry, sleepless nights and general friction re- 
sulting from unexpected mishaps and delays, and the resultant grumb- 
ling and growling of customers that cannot be satisfied. 

From the foregoing, it will readily be seen, that the ' cash with the 
order' system, becomes almost a necessity — a few bad debts would ' wipe 
out' the profits of many good customers. An added reason for the cash 
system is that the reliability and commercial standing of the great major- 
ity of apiarists, cannot be ascertained through the regular channels, while 
tliat of the dealer may usually be readily obtained through the nearest 
banking house. 

Every straight, honest bee-keeper, wdio pays his debts (and we are 
pleased to say that the great majority are of this class) is directly inter- 
ested in the cash system of payment for goods ; for, if the credit system 
should obtain, the margins of the dealer must be increased to cover the 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 51 

losses incurred by sales made to those who do not intend to pay when they 
make their orders, and who manifest great tenacity in carrying out their 
intentions. Thus, you will readily perceive that whenever you demur to 
this rule, established by the dealer, you insofar aid and assist that class 
of community who avoid the payment of their honest debts and thereby 
incur the application of that expressive, but just epithet— 'dead beats.' 
The philosophy of this position we see verified in the practice of business 
men, everywhere; the merchant who 'trusts,' is compelled to sell at a 
higher figure than his neighbor who exacts the ' cash,' while in periods of 
great commercial depression, the former is far more likely to ' go to the 
wall.' than the latter. And so we say again, uphold the cash system, by 
paying for your goods when you buy them, thereby compelling the ' dead 
beat ' to do likewise, instead of allowing him to obtain his goods at your 
own expense. 

In regard to the purchasing of supplies, I would say that much de- 
pends upon circumstances. As a rule, the dealer who is properly situ- 
ated respecting machinery that will do accurate work, and good material 
at a moderate price, can sell his goods cheaper than many can make them, 
while on the other hand, you may be fortunately located and save money 
by getting up certain lines of supplies, at home. In buying supplies, first 
decide upon what you need, and then buy where you can obtain thorough- 
ly good goods, remembering that usually L the best is the cheapest.' Bee- 
keepers' supplies, of hue quality and a fair price, that fully answer the 
intended purpose, are far more profitable and consequently more desir- 
able than an inferior article at half the cost. 

We deem this subject incomplete without still another word of ad- 
vice to the purchaser. Having made your choice of dealers, make life 
for him as easy as possible, for you will thereby subserve your own in- 
terests. Even though you write to him every week, don't forget to always 
give your full postofhce address, including your county. In ordering 
goods, be explicit ; state just what you want and how ycui want it. If you 
are writing on other subjects, make out a bill of your goods, disiinct and 
separate from everything else. Don't mix things ; don't say — k ship as be- 
fore ' — but plainly state how goods are to go— whether by mail, express 
or freight. In writing, don't refer to previous correspondence, but re- 
peat, if necessary, what you have to say ; if you compel the dealer to search 
his letter files, you may have to wait for an answer. Take nothing for 
granted ; don't think that because you happen to know something in a 
general way regarding the person with whom you are dealing, that he 
knows anything about yourself, your cast-away bee-hives in the back, 
yard, or other exploded devices, or even of your Aunt Susan or Uncle 
Joshua, w who keeps a few bees.' This writing upon the supposition that 
the dealer possesses personal knowledge of you. reminds us of the custo- 
mer who had spent an unusual time in picking out a pair of boots, and 
then politely asked the dealer to have them ' charged to father.' ' Why. I 
don't know your father !•' replied the dealer. ' You don't know him, eh? 
well, I know him just as easy.' In short, do business in a business like 
manner and you will not only merit the gratitude of the dealer, but also 
advance your own interests." 

The foregoing so completely covers the ground concerning troubles 
met by the dealer, that little more need be said on that side of the subject. I 
may add. that another reason why all orders should be explicit and com- 
plete within themselves, is that many dealers employ clerks, and often 
change them, and the incoming one knows nothing of what has been done 
before his arrival. 

It might be well to mention the mistakes made by many in choosing 
their carriers. I have found that freight companies handle goods with 
more care than express companies, as a rule. Many make the mistake of 
ordering goods by express, because they do not comprehend their weight. 
One thousand sections 4ix4ix7 to the foot, weighs, box and all, eighty 



52 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

pounds, and belong to a low freight classification. Empty hives, belong- 
ing to a much higher classification, will go nearly, or quite as cheaply by 
express as by freight, unless they have to pass through the custody of two 
or more express companies, before reaching their destination. Nearly 
all small orders weighing less than fifteen to twenty-five pounds, had bet- 
ter be ordered by express, especially if they belong to a high rate of freight 
classification, or the purchaser is in a hurry. Many more valuable hints 
that might prove useful to some of our bee-keepers, could be given, but 
as this is a subject rarely found in a bee-book, perhaps enough has been 
said about it for the present. My object in touching the subject, is sim- 
ply to benefit all parties concerned. 

Perhaps that justice to both dealer and purchaser, requires me to add 
that delays in filling orders often necessarily occur ; but, if actuated by 
no higher motive than self-interest, a reliable dealer will always fill his 
orders with as little delay as possible. I would also advise all purchasers 
to exercise a due amount of caution in patronizing dealers who recom- 
mend articles of untested and unknown value, simply to enhance their 
own profits, regardless of the interests of their patrons. 



CHAPTER XXI. 
Apiarian Implements. 

In this chapter will be found a description of many of the useful im- 
plements and adjuncts of the apiary, not specially described elsewhere in 
this work. 

As " My Friend" and myself prefer and use nearly the same devices, 
and his experience in the use of the same has been comprehensive, I have 
again solicited the aid of his pen, in their description. 

"■This topic covers an extensive field, and one in which the specialist 
is deeply interested; for, whatever of implement or device that may be 
brought forth, that is simple, cheap and effective, and facilitates uie work 
of the apiarist, is valuable in a pecuniary point of view, aside from the 
comfort and satisfaction afforded by their use. The wants of our fore- 
fathers who kept bees in a crude, primitive way, were few and simple ; 
but as our knowledge of bees and their management, increased and devel- 
oped into a practical science, our want and necessities also increased, and 
in response to this demand, the genius of the fraternity has given us much 
that is practically useful, and doubtless still more that tune and use has 
consigned to the museum of the impracticable and objectionable. We 
shall however, devote our attention to what experience has shown us to 
be useful, and this brings us to the consideration of the 

BEE-SMOKER. 

During the closing years of a useful, busy life, that veteran apiarist — 
the late M. Quimby, devised an implement for the rapid and thorough 
smoking of bees, enabling the operator to manipulate them at will. Mr. 
Quimby died before perfecting his invention, bat Mr. T. F. Bingham, of 
Abronia, Mich., added the direct draft and otherwise improved the origi- 
nal, giving us a practical and very useful implement. In our own apiar- 
ies, the larger sizes — the ' Conquerer ' and ' Doctor ' — have given us much 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTU&E. 53 



the best satisfaction. Many different articles have been used for fuel in 
these smokers, more or less satisfactory to the operator, yet objectionable 
in some respects. The great difficulty having- been to obtain a steady vol- 
ume of smoke of sufficient quantity and proper quality, to promptly sub- 
due anv belligerent tendency of the bees to a contest respecting the right 
of the apiarist to his plan of procedure. For the past five seasons we 
have used pine shavings for this purpose, with almost perfect satisfaction. 
The only difficulty we experienced in their use, was in getting them to 
burn when the fire is first started in the morning, but now obviate this by 
first using a small quantity of punk or rotten wood (elm preferred), and 
when this is thoroughly lighted, (ill up the smoker with shavings. Fine 
shavings, such as can be procured at planing mills, answer every purpose 
if covered with a small quantity of a coarser article, like bench shavings 
of carpenter shops. These last, we thoroughly dampen before using, 
especially if the smoker is to be run to its full capacity, as they fully pre- 
vent the issue of sparks and render the fuel more lasting and serviceable. 
After the fire is once thoroughly started, the shavings should be closely 
packed, using care not to destroy the draft or impede the free issue of 
smoke. A little practice will soon make you proficient in the use of this 
fuel, and when once used, I feel sure, will please you. Being easily ob- 
tained, lasting well when properly packed ( we often use one of Bingham's 
1 Doctor' smokers three hours, without refilling) and producing a dense 
volume of cool smoke that will make even the fiercest hybrids instantly 
quail. Fine shavings, in my opinion, just 'take the cake' as a smoker 
fuel. 

THE HONEY EXTRACTOR 

lias rendered it not only possible, but practical, to obtain a choice article 
of liquid honey, free from .impurity and untainted with the flavor of pol- 
len, and has added a new article to the world's commerce. Many styles 
of these machines are now in use, those. having an inside revolving frame, 
with stationary cans being the most desirable. The gearing should be of 
the upright pattern, the revolving frame strongly made and sufficiently 
large to admit of receiving the combs in the same position they occupy in 
the hive. For supporting the combs while being extracted, we use heavy, 
galvanized wire-cloth, four or five meshes to the inch, drawn in toward 
the centre at bottom, giving it a slightly flaring position. The can should 
be of sufficient depth to hold four or five hundred pounds of honey be- 
neath the revolving frame, with a molasses gate for drawing off the con- 
tents. A depth of twenty-seven inches, by thirty-two inches in diameter, 
is about right for the Langstroth frame. Heavy tin (2 X Charcoal Plate) 
or galvanized iron, will make a durable can, and it should be securely 
fastened so as to remain immovable while extracting combs of uneven 
weight. Some simple and effective device that would reverse the combs, 
without removing from the extractor, and without injury to them, would 
be an acquisition. When properly made these machines will turn easily, 
making little noise and throwing out the honey rapidly. . 

An essential concomitant of the honey extractor, is the uncapping 

HONEY-KNIFE. 

For ease of operation, rapid execution, and thorough, perfect work, 
the uncapping knife, invented and manufactured by Bingham & Heath- 
erington, remains without an equal. In fact, it is so far superior to every- 
thing else in this line, as to merit the title of 'King of Honey-Knives.' 
For furnishing us with a perfect implement at a moderate price, the man- 
ufacturers have merited the gratitude of the whole fraternity. 

PACKAGES FOR EXTRACTED HONEY. 

Liquid honey, after being extracted from the combs, should be al- 
lowed to stand in the extractor to become clear, or drawn into tanks made 
for this purpose, of four to five hundred pounds capacity. From these 
tanks the honey may be drawn into kegs or barrels, or where smaller 
packages, are wanted for retailing, tin cans or glass jars may be used. 
Pine kegs, well made and properly hooped, holding fifty and one hundred 
pounds, net., make as salable packages as any with which 1 am acquainted. 



54 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

WAX EXTRACTOR. 

The specialist in bee-culture will always have more or less refuse 
comb to convert into wax ; this can be readily and neatly done, by the use 
of the wax extractor. This extractor consists of a small boiler for gener- 
ating steam, holding a can containing a perforated tin cylinder for receiv- 
ing the comb. The steam from below melts the comb, the wax running 
from a projecting spout into a vessel of cold water placed beside the ex- 
tractor. It may be used on any cook stove. The only objection we find 
to these machines, is their small capacity— twenty to thirty pounds of wax 
being a good day's work. 

COMB-FOUNDATION. 

Few articles in the whole list of apiarian supplies : possess the real 
value for the specialist, as does this one of comb-foundation. When prop- 
erly made and used, it enables us to secure uniformly straight combs in 
both brood and surplus apartments; facilitating their rapid manipulation; 
increases the value* of our bees by enabling us to practically control the 
building of drone-comb, while it also materially increases our products, 
thereby lessening the cost of production. That these advantages have 
been abundantly proven and appreciated by the practical bee-keepers of 
America, is fully shown by the immense sale of the article itself. For 
the brood-chamber, from five to six square feet to the pound is the proper 
weight, while that for the surplus apartment, should run from seven to 
eight feet. If the base of the cell be made sufficiently thin, the presence 
of foundation in comb-honey will not be detected by the consumer. 
When used for surplus, we cut the foundation enough smaller to leave an 
eighth of an inch space at the ends, and one-fourth inch at the bottom, 
winch is called filling the sections full. For fastening foundation in sec- 
tions, a ' Parker Foundation Fastener ' is jus*t the thing. In the brood 
frames, we use full sheets, leaving the same space at ends and bottom of 
frames as in sections. To prevent sagging, wire the frames with No. 30 
tinned wire, pressing this wire into the foundation by hand ; but this may 
be done more speedily and perfectly by using the ' Given Press.' There 
are several machines that do good work; personally, we prefer the foun- 
dation made on the ' Given Press ' and the ■ Dunham ' and l Vandervoort ' 
mills. 

SECTIONS 

for comb honey, holding from one-half pound, to two pounds each, now 
generally used, are an immense advance over the old clumsy, uncouth 
package of former years, being more attractive in appearance and better 
adapted to the wants of the consumer— hence are more saleable. Poplar 
and spruce make the finest sections, not being so easily soiled as the soft- 
er woods, and when properly made, the ^ove-tailed' section is preferable, 
although nailing answers every purpose. The widths in use are those 
known as six, seven and eight to the foot ; we prefer the seven to the foot; 
the six being too wide and the eight too narrow. The most perfect combs 
are obtained by using separators, made of either tin or wood. Having 
tested many surplus devices, we prefer the one-story broad frame for 
holding these sections, as they combine the most advantages with the few- 
est objections. 

HONEY REGISTERS 

for showing the amount of honey contained in supers for extracting, or 
comb-honey in surplus cases, are a convenient device, enabling the apiar- 
ist to ascertain the amount of surplus of each colony at a glance. They 
are pasted upon the side of the super or case, having two squares of print- 
ed figures, in the centre of which a pin is driven and turned down so as to 
show the date when placed upon the hive or examined, and the amount of 
honey stored, if any, at such examination. Those devised by Mr. Heddon 
we deem to be the simplest and best. 

QUEEN REGISTERS. 

A somewhat similar device to indicate the condition of colonies or 
nuclei, devoted to queen-rearing, are printed and sold by A. I. Koot, of 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 55 



Medina, Ohio. In my own apiaries I use a small block of wood for this 
purpose, greatly preferring them to the register. These blocks are 2x5 
inches and one-half inch in thickness. The record is kept with a lead- 
pencil, and when both sides are full, remove with a plane, and they are at 
once ready for continued service. To save time in making the record, 
we use the following abbreviations : 

C— Cells. I V. Q— Virgin Queen. 

F. Q— Fertile Queen. I L. Q— Laying Queen. 

Q. R— Queen Removed I F. W— Fertile Worker. 

Q 1 s — Queenless. 

Thus, if we cage and ship a queen from a nucleus oii July 15, we 
write across one end of our block— q. r. 7-15. 

If we give this same nucleus a virgin queen on the following day (as 
is our practice), we write immediately below — v. q. 7-16. 

If we make an examination eight days afterward and find eggs, we 
say just below the last entry— 1. q. 7-24; if the queen is fertile but not yet 
laying, it is f. q.. and if the queen has been lost in fertilization— qls. 

An important advantage over the printed register is that the block 
of wood gives us a continuous record, which, unlike the little slate, is not 
obliterated by frequent rains. For material, we prefer white wood, 
planed smooth. Lay these blocks on nucleus cover and they are ready for 
use when needed. 

THE LAMP NURSERY. 

This very useful adjunct to queen-rearing, being fully described un- 
der the head of ' Queen-Rearing' by Mr. Heddon, anything further rela- 
tive thereto is deemed unnecessary. 

QUEEN CAGES. 

As it is sometimes necessary to confine both fertile and unfertile 
queens, a supply of wire-cloth cages are convenient for that purpose. We 
use tinned wire-cloth sixteen meshes to the inch, cut in strips four or five 
inches wide, and formed around a stick one-half inch thick, by three-fourth 
of an inch in width and somewhat longer than your strips of wire-cloth 
are wide, Use a wooden stopper at each end, one of which may be secur- 
ly nailed. For shipping queens by mail the cages just adopted by Mr. 
Heddon, are the best I have seen. 

FOUNTAIN PUMP. 

Where natural swarming is allowed, a 'Whitman Fountain Pump' is a 
necessity. By its use, swarms may be prevented from absconding, and when 
two or more are on the wing at the same time, they can be forced to cluster 
separately ; and should a swarm begin to cluster in some inaccessible or in- 
convenient place for hiving, they may be easily driven to another location. 
When clustered, we thoroughly spray them with the pump, (being care- 
ful not to use too much water) which greatly facilitates the process of 
hiving. If, for any reason the apiarist wishes to defer hiving them, they 
can be held where clustered any length of time, by spraying every hour. 
This pump is well and durably made and with decent usage will last a 
life-time. 

FACE PROTECTORS. 

Where bees are well-bred and properly handled, little or no protection 
from stings is needed. In our own apiaries, we have used no protection 
whatever, for the past two seasons. But, where bees are belligerent, and 
manifest an especial proficiency in the use of their javelins, a face pro- 
tector is a great comfort and convenience. A veil made of black bobinet 
and worn over the hat will protect the eyes and face of the operator, which 
seems to be a favorite target for bee venom. When bees are rightly man- 
ipulated, and still persist in stinging the hands and every unprotected 
place of the operator's person, they show too much ' bee-cussedness ' for 
our nervous temperament. Thorough smoking for the time being, and 
re-queening, so as to weed out such blood, are our remedies. 

BEE-TENT. 

During a honey dearth, when bees are somewhat prone to be tooinquis- 



( 5ti SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

itive regarding the contents of each others hives, some protection against 
this piratical tendency becomes necessary, when colonies must be manip- 
ulated. For this purpose, resort has been had to the bee-tent, a light 
wooden frame covered with thin, white cloth, or mosquito-bar, and made 
light enough to be easily carried from place to place by the operator. 
This tent is placed over the colony to be manipulated, and removed after 
the hive has been closed. Tins works nicely in theory, but quite differ- 
ently in practice. Aside from the necessarily cramped position of the 
operator and lack of room for tools, we find that when the tent has been 
removed, that the robbers ' pitch into' such a colony with redoubled fury, 
since they have all the time been anxiously waiting upon the outside for 
an opportunity of so doing. The one redeeming feature of its use, is the 
freedom afforded from stings, which are sure to be forthcoming, if rob- 
ber bees have access to the hive when open. * This brings us to the con- 
sideration of a device with which we may attain the object sought. 

THE SCREEN-HOUSE. 

We make a light frame work of strips of wood, an inch in thickness 
by two inches in width, of the size wanted. Personally, we prefer plenty 
of loom, about 7x9 feet and of sufficient height to clear the head of the 
operator. The sides should be made separately and hooked together— 
likewise the cover, so as to admit of taking down and storing away, when 
not in use. In one corner we place a sliding door, so arranged as to slide 
in grooves ; a slight push from either side quickly opens or shuts it. On 
the opposite side from the door, we place a bench, of convenient height, 
upon which we set full stocks or nuclei, for manipulation. Here we look 
up our queens, remove snrpius honey, ascertain the condition of bees, 
etc., etc., when they are returned to their own stands in the yard, with- 
out any molestation from robbers. The cloth cover to this screen-house 
is made sufficiently large to hang down eight or ten inches, all around the 
outside of the house ; by slightly raising this co"\ er and smoking the bees, 
they quickly rake the hint of ' not wanted,' and sail away for home with- 
out the admission of would-be robbers. Venomous indeed, must be the 
nature of a colony that would offer to sting the operator in this screen- 
house. 

HONEY ORATES. 

Every practical apiarist who has raised comb-honey extensively, is 
aware of the value of a neat shipping crate in disposing of his surplus. 
By all odds, the best thing we have seen in this line, is the crate devised 
and used by Mr. Heddon. It is 8ixl2 inches and four and one-fourth 
inches in depth — plump inside measure — holding twelve, pound sections, 
six to the foot: fourteen sections, seven to the foot, or sixteen sections, 
eight to the foot. It also holds just one-half more in number of the one- 
half pound sections, of these respective sizes, all fitting equally perfect. 
These crates are glassed at each end in such a way as to protect the glass 
and show the honey to the best advantage. It also secures the great de- 
sideratum of a uniform package, for all these variations in the standard 
sizes of sections, is made at minimum cost of labor and material, having 
a small glass surface, yet showing the honey perfectly ; while in attrac- 
tiveness of appearance — they are perfection' itself and need only to be 
once used to be appreciated. 

FEEDERS. 

While bee-feeders have not been in extensive use in the past, by Amer- 
ican apiarists, the signs of the times seem to unmistakably point in that 
direction at present, and were we given to prophecy, should venture the 
opinion that in the near future, a good feeder will be deemed an indis- 
pensable adjunct to every well regulated apiary. We believe they would 
have been in more general use at present, had a really good feeder — one 
that would fill all the requisites of such an article — been procurable. In 
surveying the field of invention, traversed by the bee-keeper, we find 
there is little practical value in the line of feeders, aside from those in- 
vented by Mr. Heddon and candor demands the admission, that even these 
although correct in principle, did not meet our requirements. We are 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 57 

happy to add, however, that Mr. Heddon's inventive genius has finally 
given us a perfected feeder, which will, as we believe, give perfect satis- 
faction, under all the varying circumstances and conditions which render 
their use desirable. 

They may be varied in size so as to adapt them to any style of hive in 
use — the sample before us, just covering the top of an eight-frame Laug- 
stroth hive and is about four inches in depth. It contains a 
central reservoir for receiving the feed, which flows directly in- 
to feeding apartments located upon either side of this res- 
ervoir, from which the liquid food is carried below by the bees. The ex- 
cellence of this feeder will be readily recognized by the practical apiarist 
when we state that by its use, the feed is so placed as to avoid the possi- 
bility of attracting robbers, cannot leak a drop outside the hive and can- 
not daub or drown bees ; the apiarist in feeding does not come in contact 
with a single bee — hence the rapidity of operation without smoke or stings; 
the honey is taken from it by the bees in such a manner as to induce the 
filling and capping of outside combs or sections, -as speedily and perfectly 
as those centrally located; simplicity of construction, moderate cost, dur- 
ability and of the greatest possible capacity. 

MISCELLANEOUS. . 

Almost every practical apiarist has in use, some utensil or device, 
peculiarly his own, enabling him to make a ' short cut' in management or 
manipulation— and consequently valuable to that extent. We find a cheap 
clothes-basket, lined with thin cloth, into which we shake natural swarms 
when clustered on trees, answers the purpose admirably. If the bees 
have been sufficiently sprayed with a Whitman Fountain Pump, they will 
lie quietly in the basket without flying at all, while being carried to their 
new home. A good step-ladder is also a convenience in hiviag swarms. 
A little tool, to which we attach the enphonious name of ' Spud/ is useful 
in prying up covers, or in taking off supers or surplus cases that have 
been glued to the hive, etc. Ours were made by a blacksmith from old 
files, are seven inches in length, an inch and a half wide at one end and 
flattened sharp ; the other end being smaller and serving as a handle. 
When well tempered they make a good cold chisel, and work nicely for 
scraping hives, covers, etc. Other articles might be mentioned, but with 
such an outfit, as above described, in connection with the improved 
Langstroth hive, or, what is far better, where a specialty is made of hon- 
ey-production, the new hive invented by Mr. Heddon, every intelligent, 
energetic apiarist will be enabled to succeed to his own complete satis- 
faction." 




SMOKERS. 

In addition to what has been said I wish to add my evidence to the great 
superiority of the shaving smoke. I would not for fifty dollars be willing 
to exchange these shavings for any other material, with which I am ac- 
quainted, to use in our bee-smokers. With them very little heat is evolv- 
ed ; fully as little creosote. They settle the " cold blast " problem. Their 
smoke, while it most completely conquers the bees, leaves no reactionary 
belligerent effects with them, as does tobacco, rags and some other ma- 



58 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

terial. The smoke is not disagreeable to the operator No sparks fly out 
while using the smoke. They last a long time, when loaded into the 
smoker just right, a little closer detail of which I will re-present. Pine 
shavings, are preferable. As in most places, one can get "planer" shavings 
much handier than bench or hand-planed shavings, I will tell you how 
we have made them work equally well : First, press down to the bottom 
of the smoker, a thin (one-half inch) layer of hand-planed shavings, quite 
snugly packed. Next light some of the punk, "My Friend " speaks of, 
(this punk should be very light and readily combustible ; only fit to start 
fire with) and drop it down upon the thin bed of shavings, give it a few 
puffs from the bellows, to get it well lighted, then fill up to near the top 
of the fire barrel with the pine planer shavings ; pack these down moder- 
ately tight, puffing with the bellows as you pack. Now take up a small 
handful of the bench shavings (any wood will do for these) and douse 
them with water, squeeze them as dry as you can, so they will not drip, 
then press them into a layer about an inch deep ; that will fill the fire bar- 
rel to the top. Now adjust the nozzle and puff away until the white smoke 
rolls forth in a volume that will subdue the worst tempered bees, wheth- 
er lying outside their hive, on their combs, or hanging in a cluster upon 
some tree, waiting to be hived. When you notice the first spark coming from 
the nozzle, your smoker needs re-filling. Remove the nozzle, push these 
shavings (which will not be burned) to the bottom to form the bottom lay- 
er, fill with the planer shavings and cover with the dampened hand shav- 
ings as before, and you are again ready for another hour's constant use. 
During that time of year when no excessive or constant volume of smoke 
is used, one filling often lasts us five hours. No material will better hold 
fire than these shavings, when properly adjusted. Robber bees learn to 
beware of the volume of smoke that a few puffs brings forth. 

With the aid of this description and a little practice, I trust you will 
soon be able to say with me, that " My Friend " has given the fraternity 
something, though seemingly small, really of great importance, to suc- 
cessful practice in apiculture. 

For the benefit of a few of my readers who may not have seen any 
bee-smoker, or at least not the one invented by Mr. Bingham, I insert a 
a cut of the same, and will say that among the many smokers that I have 
tested, I count the above the best, both in principle of construction, and 
quality of workmansip. 

I have heretofore preferred the third, of the five sizes of these smok- 
ers, but since the adoption of this new fuel, I agree with "My Friend" 
that the larger size is the best. I use i.he " Doctor," as Mr. Bingham has 
named this largest size. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



59 




HOUEY-EXTRACTOR. 

On tliis subject I have little to add or alter from what has been said by 
" My Friend." I think no extractor worthy of the specialist, has yet been 
given to the public. I, too, much prefer the vertical or upright gearing. 
Could the users of hand fanning mills be induced to adopt horizontal 
gearings? Further than my decided preference for the upright style 
of gear, E will say that all the honey-extractors offered by the 
different manfacturers are good, reliable machines, and do their 
work well, so far as I know. A choice must be made in reference 
to the excellence of workmanship and material used, as Avell as the con- 
venience of the minor attachments. So far as I have investigated, I think 
I prefer the " Excelsior," manufactured by Thomas G. Newman & Son,of 
Chicago. The specialist, however, needs and cannot do without a ma- 
chine that could not be sold for less than fifty to one hundred dollars. It 
should have a "slip-gearing," so that while the operator is preparing 
combs for extraction, a set already in the machine may be revolving by 
the motion given them a moment before. It should have a " foot-brake," 
that would stop it almost instantly. If practically possible, it should re- 
verse the combs automatically. If not, it should be so arranged that the 
combs can be turned without lifting them out of the machine. It should 
be made of the very best of material, and with such perfect workmanship 
that were it a knitting machine it would take at least, one stitch. Who 
will give us such a honey-extractor? 

The dimensions for the can, as given by " My Friend," make a very 
large machine ; one that receives two L. frames in the position that they 
hang in the hive. When the screen-framas are adjusted to receive them 
in this horizontal position, the machine admits of a very large reservoir 
below, a very advantageous feature. Some theories have been advanced 
to prove that the honey will not readily leave the cells of the ends of these 
long combs when whirled in the horizontal position, but I have two of 



60 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



these large machines which receive the L. frames horizontally, and how- 
ever true that theory may be in principle, it is never realized in practice. 
Our machines do their work perfectly, but they do not start and stop as 
easily, as our machine, with a smaller can, which receives the comb ver- 
tically. This is quite an objection to them, and the only one I think of. 
We always locate our machines firmly to the building they are placed in, 
and usually in one corner. 




COMB FOUNDATION. 

I feel that justice demands that whoever writes upon this subject, 
should not fail to mention the names of Charles Dadant & Son, of Ham- 
ilton, Illinois, who transform into comb foundation, more bees-wax, than 
any other firm in the world. Not only this, but their excellence of work- 
manship, added to the volume of their work, makes them at once deserv- 
ing of the title of " King, Comb-Foundation." Further, 1 think I should 
commit the sin of omission, after mentioning their names, not to also 
mention the accuracy and integrity pervading all their business transac- 
tions with me. I have ceased to count or weigh after them, any goods 
they send me. I do not seek to load these men with praise, but to un- 
load from myself years of accumulating duty and gratitude. We 
do not however see all matters just alike. While they prefer the founda- 
tion made upon the roller mills, my preference is decidedly in favor of 
that made upon the Given press. I grant that an excellent article— one 
that will give entire satisfaction to most consumers, can be and is made, 
upon any of the best styles of foundation machines, but my extended ex- 
periments, both with the manufacture and use of the article, have con- 
vinced my students and myself that the Given comb-foundation is just a 
little superior to any other. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



61 




Above, is presented a cut of the Given press, invented by the late 
D. S. Given, of Hoopeston, 111., and still made there by D. S. Given & Co. 
This machine makes a very excellent article of comb-foundation. Among 
the points of superiority connected with it and its product, maybe enum- 
erated the following: 

1. The press is the only machine that makes foundation in wired 
frames. 

2. It makes a sheet of wax into foundation without changing its size 
or shape, so that the maker can dip his sheets of the required size. 

3. It makes both heavy and light foundation with no change of the 
machine, and both have very thin base, the wax being softly pressed into 
the side walls, where it is more speedily and completely drawn into comb 
by the bees. 

4. It is very simple and easy of manipulation, and requires much less 
lubricating. 

5. The foundation needs no paper between the sheets, to transport it 
safely. 

Some of our leading bee-keepers have lately been enquiring as to the 
value of a liberal use of comb-foundation, especially in brood frames. If 
I am correct, their experiments are still going on, and as yet, without a 
definite solution of the problem. Among my many experiments, I have 
neglected to experiment upon this point upon a scale adequate to its solu- 
tion. Mr. W. Z. Hutchinson, of Eogersville, Mich., a practical bee-keep- 
er, fully competent to settle the question, is, I believe, still making ex- 
tensive experiments, and I trust will soon be able to give us a reliable 
answer. I can only say, that so far as my observation and experience 
with thousands of pounds of foundation, goes, I am now in favor of fill- 
ing completely, all my brood frames and surplus receptacles. I believe 
that the verdict will be, " for profit, use all the foundation you can." As 
to the pleasure of its use, there is no question. The fact that the use of 



62 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



the article saves time and honey, is not all the benefits we derive. We 
practically control the variety or strain of the drones of our apiary. We 
also procure straighter and more uniform combs. I think we need have 
no fears that its use in our surplus receptacles, will injure the reputation 
of our comb-honey. I used it several years, and that too, a bungling, illy 
made, article, in full sheets in all my sections, when not a person in my 
county knew there existed such an article, and from the sales of many 
hundred pounds of honey built upon it, I never heard but one word that 
signified the least suspicion of anything new, and very many were the 
praises of my "excellent comb-honey." When using it in full sheets in 
brood frames, I most earnestly advise wiring the frames, and I care not 
what kind of foundation you are using, more or less of sagging, warping 
or twisting is likely to injure the beauty and usefulness of your combs, if 
wires are not used. I find them of advantage in many other ways, and 
no detriment, in any. The following gives our method of 

WIRING FRAMES 

by hand. It cannot be pressed onto the wires as smoothly and perfect- 
ly as if done by the press, but it can be done so well tint after the bees 
get through manipulating it, it is in every way as perfect as if done by the 
machine. 

Wnen your frame material is out, and before nailed up, punch holes 
(centrally) through the top and bottom bars about tw T o inches apart, and 
have the outside holes not further from the end bar than one-half or three- 
fourths of an inch. Use No. 30 tinned wire. Now sew the frame, begin- 
ning in the middle and sewing each way with each end. To fasten the 
ends I use a small tack, or the nails that nail the bottom-bar may be left 
a little out. Be careful not to draw the bottom-bar bowing by drawing 
the wire too tight. Diagonal wires may be put in, but I do not use them, 
as I find no need for them. To use them fasten one end to the tack or 
nail-head, and then go down through the first hole, and through the cne 
nearest the centre of the other bar, then up through the other centre hole, 
and fasten this end the same as the first. Now the frame is wired. 




Next make a lap-board longer each way than your frame is the long- 
est way. Now cut from one-half inch lumber a board that is one-fourth 
inch smaller each way than the inside measure of your frame. Nail this 
board securely to the seven-eighths lap-board, and let the grains run cross- 
ways of each other. This will prevent warping. With a sponge or a rag- 
wet the thin board or form. Have already-cut some sheets of foundation 
one-fourth less in size than your frame measures inside. Turn up about 
3-16 of an inch on one edge, (have the "wax sheet warm) and with a stiff, 
broad putty-knife, or chisel, mash the turned-up portion to the top-bar 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



63 



(which should not be rough), so that the sheet will hang centrally in the 
frame. We have a rest fixed for the frame, on our work bench, to hold 
it while we do the mashing. Next lay the frame and foundation (founda- 
tion down) on the lap-board and over the form, and while the sheet is 
plastic, push the wires down into the base of the cells. This can be done 
with an eight-penny nail ; some use a wheel with points upon it. I have 
had success with the wire imbedder with about ten points, about one-fifth 
of an inch apart, the points being about one-fifth wide and one-sixty- 
fourth thick, so adjusted that they roll lengthwise of the wire, while each 
point runs crosswise of the wire. Of course they are not properly points. 
This puts the wire in quite rapidly and satisfactorily. 




SECTIONS. 

Briefly stated, my experience with sections has been, that I can get as' 
much if not more surplus honey stored in those holding not more than 
one pound, than in any larger size. The reasons may be that when they 
are not higher than four and one-fourth inches, the bees more readily go to 
their tops to start work in the supers. However this may be, they are 
better adapted to the " tiering up " method, a method that in my opinion, 
has no equal, and sooner or later, will be adopted by all honey producers. 
This size section (4ix4l) sells in the markets better than any other size. 
It is rare indeed, that we ever hear a customer calling for larger size sec- 
tions of honey. I find that I can produce just as much comb-honey in 
one-half pound sections as in any larger size, and that there is a demand 
for a portion of this size, even at a price in proportion to. their extra cost 
of production; but those who retail or job out thsir crop, should only use 
a lesser proportion of this size, as their cost is ten to fifteen per cent- 
greater than the cost cf one-pound sections, partly owing to the extra 
manipulation. I think we have a standard in the 4ix4i section, but just 
now the question is being discussed as to the best width for these sections. 
During the past" three years, my students and myself, have experimented 
considerably upon this point, and we have settled down on one and three- 
fourths inch, scant, or " seven to the foot," as the best width to use, 
whether they are used with separators or not. After we had determined 
a preference for the above width, with separators, we supposed that of 
course, one and one-half inch, or " eight to the foot," would be best where 
no separators were used, but actual trial on a large scale, by myself and 

others, demonstrated that the " seven to the foot " were the best, with or 
without separators. 



64 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



29 30 31 


1 


2 3 4 


28 




5 


27 




l> 


26 




/ 


25 


* 


8 


24 




9 


23 




10 


22 




11 


21 




12 



I prefer a four-piece section, tu dovetailed " or notched at all corners, 
made of white poplar and having openings at both top and bottom, ex- 
tending their entire length. So far I have been unable to procure them, 
of such workmanship, as would suit those who know the importance of 
nice sections, short of the New England states. 

Renewed. 



3-4 * 1-4 



20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 1-2 

heddon's surplus honey register. 
The above is a sample of our surplus honey register, which was sug- 
gested by seeing the queen register invented, I think, by Mr. A. I. Root, 
of Medina, Ohio. It embraces the essential principles of his, but I think 
is in a more practical shape and much more useful for surplus honey than 
queen registering. I agree with " My Friend, 1 " regarding the superiority 
of the little boards, and pencil, for the latter purpose. We make these 
registers of thin, white paper, to be pasted on the north side of our su- 
pers, upper back corner, or of heavy manilla paper and tack on in the 
same place. I rather prefer the thin paper, pasted, and they cost less, 
though perhaps in some cases it would be better to use the heavy article 
tacked to the wood. After fastening to the super, drive a cheap, soft 
metal No. 2 pin (such as we usually buy for rive cents a paper) into the 
wood at the points designated by the two stars. To govern the distance 
to drive them, and to insure driving them straight, we make a block five 
inches long, one-half inch thick and seven-eighths wide and exactly square. 
About one inch from one end, on one side of this block with a try square 
we cut square across, a small groove, sufficient to receive the body of the 
pin. Lay your pin in this groove, placing your thumb over it to hold it 
firmly ; place the point at the star, the edge of the block resting firmly 
against the super, and with a light hammer drive the head of the pin down 
even with the block; remove the block, bend the pin at right angles and it 
forms a perfect dial which will remain in place for years. We use a reg- 
ister on each and every super, and when we adjust such super to the hive, 
say May 20, we turn the head of the pin within the figures to the number 
" 20 " and the other to the letter "• R " in the word " Renewed." Now you 
can see at a glance, rods away, that you put that. super on the hive the 
twentieth (you can always tell the month from memory), and that it has 
never been looked into since. Should you now look into it on the twenty- 
seventh and find no work had yet been done, turn the date pin to "27" 
and the other to the letter " d." After this you can tell at a glance that 
the super had nothing in on the twenty-seventh, when it was examined 
which was not the day it was first given to the colony. So '• R " and " d " 
both mean empty. Now at anytime in the future when you examine the 
super, turn the date pin to the day of examination and the other to a 
position in the circle in proportion to the accumulation of honey in the 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 65 

super, as you can estimate it at a glance, whether it be one-eighth, one- 
sixth or one-fourth, or five-eighths or seven-eighths, as the case may be. 
You are not confined to the positions indicated by the fractions on the 
register, which are merely put there for marks of division. 

At a low estimate these registers save me at least, twenty-five dollars 
worth of labor each season. I cannot see how those who manage large 
numbers of hives can do without some such registering device. They are 
equally useful for comb or extracted honey. 

SCREEN-HOUSE. 

As stated by " My Friend," we much prefer the screen-house or per- 
manent bee-tent, to those commonly advised, which are portable. All 
things considered, I would rather carry my " Readily Movable Hives " 
to my screen-house, than to carry the portable tent and place over them. 
I will give you a few reasons for my preference. 

We rarely need either, when we have surplus upon the hives. In the 
few cases that we do, we prefer to set it off, quickly and securely cover- 
ing it; carry the body hive, or both, to the screen-house as circumstances may 
demand. A screen-house will be larger and more convenient in shape and 
structure than a portable tent. Oars is six feet square, perfectly bee- 
tight, with double wire-cloth all around the upper half. The double wire 
cloth will not admit of the inside bees feeding those without, which prac- 
tice is one of the greatest stimulants to robbing. Two of the entire sides 
of the house are on hinges, and when swung open every bee leaves in- 
stantly. The top is lined with cloth, with tight board roof over all. We 
find this an excellent place to leave our filled supers until the few adher- 
ing bees desert them. But here comes our greatest objection to the port- 
able tent. When robbing is rife in the apiary, after removing the tent 
from the colony you have had open, the robbers at once pitch into it with 
much the same determination as when no tent has been used. They know 
just where to make the attack; it is not so at all when carried from the 
screen-house, the point of attack always remains at the place of manipu- 
lation and the hive is carried back to its own peaceful location. 

Sometimes after clearing out the house, leaving nothing to rob, we 
open the doors slightly until the bulk of i;he robbers have passed in and 
keep them there until the bees almost cease their flying, when we let 
them out; well punished, and I believe somewhat repentant of their bad 
habits ; at the same time learning which colonies are the most inclined to 
this vexatious habit, which gives us a chance to doctor or re-queen them. 
We have used both kinds of protection for three years and think we have 
no more use for bee-tents. 



♦•-@A0 CL^^S^^I QA\ 



\& 




66 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 




(Heddou's Feeder, Old Style.) 
BEE-FEEDERS. 

The compliment that tl My Friend " has paid to my large bee-feeder, 
though it may seem extravagant to some, is one that has been given it by 
nearly every bee-keeper who has tested it. Since last season's improve- 
ments (which have never been on the market) it seems to me as though 
the implement was nearly perfection. I cannot speak of these late im- 
provements without mentioning the names of J. L. Stevens and Benjamin 
Guest, two of my students, and William Stolley, my last season's superin- 
tendent, all of whom rendered material assistance in perfecting the feed- 
er shown in the foregoing cut, " old style." 

By a comparison between the above cut and the one which follows, I 
think the reader will recognize some valuable improvements. "While we 
covered the old style with the hive cover, we have devised a special cover 
that affords conveniences much in advance of its extra cost. 

By referring to the cut, you will notice that it is supplied with a cen- 
tral sliding piece that opens to the large central reservoir, and while open- 
ing it up with merely a touch, it closes as readily and in such a manner, 
that no scent of the food can escape. The act of filling this feeder does 
not crack the propolis placed about the joints where it is fitted to the hive 
or cover, by the bees, which makes it odor tight. The advantages of a 
central reservoir and entrances on either side, and feeding places on each 
side of the reservoir, must be enjoyed to be fully appreciated. 




(Heddon's Feeder. New Style.) 
I do not think that it is necessary to consume space giving a mechan- 
ical description, embracing measurements of all parts of the feeder. As 
of hives, the same may be said of this feeder. The most laborious and 
space consuming description,would no more than lead the average bee-keep- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



67 



er i;o construct one just enough different to leave out some important fea- 
ture. A perfect sample to work by, is the only safe guide ; the only one 
which the inventor, who takes any pride in his inventions, feels safe in 
giving to the general public. 

I am pleased to leave this useful implement to the test and decision 
of my brother bee-keepers. ■ 

The cut above is imperfect, in so far as the feeding places on either 
side of the reservoir are made to appear of different capacity, and the 
partitions next the reservoir should come up flush with the top of the 
feeder. 




THE PARKER FOUNDATION FASTENER. 

When comb-foundation was first invented, some little trouble was ex- 
perienced from the want of some quick, reliable method of attaching it 
to the top-bars of brood-frames and surplus section boxes. 

After experimenting with molten wax, preparations of wax and ros- 
in, different kinds of glue as well as saw cuts to pinch it fast, it was found 
that nothing would secure bees-wax to wood, as quickly and permanently 
as to press or mash it into the grains of the wood with a putty-knife or 
chisel. Learning this fact, we would lay our sheet of foundation into the 
section, passing its edge about one-eighth of an inch beyond the line we 
wished it to hang from, and with a putty-knife mash this one-eighth of 
an inch fast to the top-bar of the section ; now turn the wax sheet at right 
angles just where it attaches to the wood, and your sheet of foundation 
will hang-centrally in the little section frame. 

We found it necessary to have our foundation sheet of a temperature 
of about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the putty knife coated with honey. 
By further reference to the cut you will see how the little Fastener does 
the work of fastening one sheet of foundation into one section, by a single 
motion. 

The lever piece needs an occasional coating of honey, and the founda- 
tion should be tempered, as above. 

YTou will notice that the hinges to the lever are so adjusted that after 
the pressure becomes great enough, said lever will begin to slide back- 
ward, the pressure all the time increasing, and this feature, which I be- 
lieve originated with Mr. Parker, is what gives me a decided preference 
for his style of machine. One might imagine that this process would 
work better upon rough than smooth wood surfaces; such, however, is 
not the case. The smoother the wood, the better. 



68 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



Bingham & Hetherington Uncapping Knife 




Patented May 20, 1879. 



THE HONEY KNIFE. 



The Honey Knife, which is used almost exclusively for uncapping 
combs for extraction, is no small factor among the many necessary im- 
plements for the bee-keeper. 

Yery well do I remember the trials and tribulations necessarily en- 
dured while using various styles of Honey Knives, before possessing the 
one shown in the above cut. If we used a narrow blade we were free 
from the troubles accruing from dragging down the cells, caused by suc- 
tion whenever our wide blades passed along their surface; but we had to 
suffer the great inconvenience arising from the fact that a narrow blade 
would not carry the cappings. but allowed them to pass over the top of 
the knife and stick fast in the honey just uncapped, when another motion 
or two would be required to remove the cappings. Wide or narrow be 
our blade, one serious drawback or the other must be endured. 

The inventive genius of Bingham & Hetherington -gave us a broad 
blade, with a straight bevel on the under edge of the blade (all knives 
prior to this were beveled on top), which gave us the narrowest bearing 
against the ends of the uncapped cells, together with the widest top sur- 
face for carrying away the cappings. This is not all. This lower bevel 
necessitates carrying the blade in a considerably arched position, which 
also aids in carrying the cappings. and makes the blade almost perfection 
itself for the purpose of neatly and quickly uncapping sunken spots that 
are sometimes found in the surface of combs. "When I first beheld this 
new knife I felt very confident, and so expressed myself to Mr. Bingham, 
that it would not w T ork well and satisfactorily. A half hour's practical 
use of it quickly convinced me to the contrary, and I was not long study- 
ing into the whys and wherefores of the perfection of its work. 

This valuable acquisition to our useful implements was patented May 
20th, 1879, by virtue of which it has been made of the very best material, 
by finished workmen, and sold at the very reasonable price of $1.00 each, 
by Bingham & Hetherington, of Abronia, Mich., as well as by nearly all 
our leading supply dealers, who could not but recognize its superiority. 




SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



69 




Bee Veil. 



FACE PROTECTORS. 



The plain black bobbinet veil, as illustrated in the above cut, I be- 
lieve to be — all things considered — the best and most practical, as well as 
cheapest, Face Protector now known to bee-keepers. It is light, and in- 
stantly adjustable to almost any hat, making it convenient to carry in the 
pocket when going to visit, or work other apiaries. A bee veil should 
never be any color but black, as all other shades are more or less difficult 
to see through clearly. Bound meshes are also preferable to clear vision, 
when looking through them. 




THE LAMP NURSERY. 



The above cut represents the Lamp Nursery, for hatching queen 
cells, which is described on page 28, in chapter on Queen Bearing. 



70 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 




THE WAX EXTRACTOR. 

We herewith illustrate this convenient utensil, described by u My 
Friend" on page 54. We, too, have found them rather small and slow of 
operation where hundreds of pounds of wax were to be rendered at one 
time; but as very few modern bee-keepers will have any such amount of 
wax making to do in the future, I can recommend these Extractors be- 
cause of their handiness and perfect cleanliness in storing up and melt- 
ing smaller quantities of comb, which slowly but surely accumulates in 
all apiaries. 




irVVT- --^-v 




WHITMAN FOUNTAIN PUMP. 

Above is shown the Whitman Fountain Pump, spoken of by " My 
Friend" on page 55. These pumps are made of best material, and the 
workmanship is excellent. They are not only very useful to the bee- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



71 



keeper, in the ways mentioned on page 55, but in very many other partic- 
ulars outside of the demands of the apiary. They are excellent with 
which to wash windows, outside; very useful in cleaning buggies; they do 
quite good work in sprinkling lawns, and gardens; they have saved many 
buildings, by extinguishing fires in their incipiency. The bee-keeper 
cannot afford to do without at least one, in his apiary. 




SHIPPING CRATES. 

The above cut is a perfect representation of our preferred Shipping- 
Crate, except that the engraver has made the bottom, which is nailed on 
the outside, look as though it was larger than the Crate, which it is not, 
but of its exact outside dimensions, the same as the cover. 

The first Crate I ever saw, was glassed on its sides, rather than ends, 
and the grooves were made in the ends of the solid end pieces, which re- 
ceived a glass as long as the Crate the longest way, and as wide as the 
crate was high. This style of glassing crates was quire expensive, and I 
found unnecessarily so. I changed the method of glassing at once, cut- 
ting my grooves in the edges of the cleats, thus using glasses not over one- 
half the width. I found by experience in shipping several tons of comb 
honey in these Crates that there was no need for any more glass than just 
enough to show the kind and quality of the contents of the crate. That 
secured safety in handling, and satisfaction to the observer. Next, I 
changed the cleats and glass to the ends, instead of side of the Crates, for 
the following reasons: 

1st. The Crate would be stronger, and cheaper. 

2nd. The cleats would serve as handles, at the same time allowing 
us to handle the Crate, side to us, with combs ranging to and from us. 

3rd. When made in this manner, the Crate is just as long as our 
storing cases are wide (which is a plump foot), and so whatever size sec- 
tion we use, of which the width of any given number measure one foot, 
thus perfectly fitting our storing cases, the same will equally fit our 
Shipping Crates. 

Our one-half pound sections are of such dimensions from front to 
rear, that six of them measure just the same as four of the 4i sections, 
viz.: Seventeen inches. All are just 4i inches high. Yfou will see that 
the Crate whose width is adapted to two of the 4i sections is equally well 
adapted to three of the half pound sections. Thus we have a small, 
solid shipping crate that receives 12, 4ix4ix2 sections, which are six to the 
foot; 14 of the same, seven to the foot; 16 of the same, eight to the foot; 
21 of the half pounds, seven to the foot; 24 of the same, eight to the foot, 
and all of these five sizes perfectly fitting the Crate. 



72 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



We make our Shipping Crates of white basswood, but pine or poplar- 
will answer very well for the purpose. I advise small Shipping Crates, as 
safest in which to transport comb honey, and readiest of sale when placed 
upon the market. 

The question of a combined Storing Case and Shipping Crate, is one 
that has been discussed much, and experimented with a little. It is one 
of the subjects that I can satisfactorily decide upon, for myself, without 
the trouble and expense of a trial. I feel confident that honey thus pro- 
duced and negligently sent to market, would never do for my trade. 

Among the many objections to storing and selling comb honey in the 
same case, or crate (whichever it may be called), I will enumerate a few: 

1st. A good Storing Case— one up to the modern standard— is not only 
inferior to the Shipping Crate above illustrated, in nearly every respect, 
but is too costly to be given away with honey sales; and any system of 
selling, that confines itself to charging for or recovering the Crates, will 
not stand commercial test. 

2nd. Comb honey is sought largely for its fine appearance, as is prov- 
en by its commanding double the price of equally choice extracted honey, 
after twenty years of acquaintance with consumers. This fact enjoins 
us to neglect nothing that will improve the appearance of our surplus 
combs. 

To ship sections to market— that is, any market that pays good prices- 
just as they are left by the bees, would be to lose many times more than it 
costs to remove them from cases to crates, cleaning them of all propolis, 
when crating. 

The producer should grade his combs, know just what each Crate 
contains, and represent it just as it is. Eegarding this matter, I feel 
confident that "the longest way around is the nearest way across." 




SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 78 



CHAPTER XXII. 
Patents.— Are they Necessary? 

The above is a question that I have frequently asked, both in private 
conversation and through tbe Bee Journal. I believe there is a miscon- 
ception upon the part of many, regarding the spirit of our Patent Laws. 
You will often hear men, who claim and mean to be honest, say to an 
inventor regarding his invention, " Is this patented?" and upon learning 
that it is not, continue by saying, " Then I will manufacture some of 
them." 1 

The questioner evidently entertains the idea that an inventor has an 
exclusive right to a patented article only after, and because, he has paid 
the government $35.00. I think this is a great mistake. Every civilized 
nation grants to an inventor an exclusive right to his invention for a term 
of years, because it recognizes that such an exclusive right belongs to 
him, which should be paid, because justice demands it, and to stimulate 
invention for the benefit of its people. It recognizes that in the mental, 
as well as the physical world, one has a right to at least part of the re- 
sults of his own labor. The thirty-five dollars is merely the recording 
fee demanded, to support the office. 

The government makes no patent laws to aid extortion from her 
people, but to protect inventors in their . natural rights. Had the first 
speaker in the above dialogue rightly understood this matter, would he 
not have said, "'Will you object to my making and using your invention V" 
"Can I borrow the results of your labor ! *' I once entertained the idea 
that possibly these principles could be so thoroughly inculcated into the 
minds of the members of our fraternity, that they would all respect 
each inventor of implements in our line, patent or no patent. But expe- 
rience has taught me that in our business, as in others, a few there are, 
who will do right only when forced to. For this class, the Patent Laws, 
like all other laws, are made. 

The patent system is the pride of inventors and honest people in gen- 
eral, but the dread of him who wishes to purloin the labors of another 
without giving an equivalent. 

On page 620 of Gleanings in Bee Culture, its editor, Mr. Boot, pens 
the f ollowing moral gem, which will make his name remembered by all 
men of intelligence and integrity. He says: 

"I am very glad indeed to note the disposition among bee-keepers of 
forbearing to copy the works of each other, patent or no patent. The 
supply dealer who would unhesitatingly copy something well known to 
be the property of another, without getting the privilege of doing so, by 
purchase or otherwise, would very likely lose more than he made, so 
strong is the disposition of our people to give honor to whom honor is 
due." 

In the same periodical on page 179— 1885— our state entomologist, 

Prof. A. J. Cook, says of the above: "I wish to commend what you say 
about inventions. We should respect them, whether patented or not." 

I now believe patents are necessary to the fulfillment of justice, and 
best interests of our people. 



74 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

I have had some recent personal experience, regarding the boldness 
with which some of our people will appropriate the#v r ork of another, even 
when requested not to do so. In two instances that have come to my no- 
tice, hive manufacturers have wronged me knowingly. To one, I gave 
complete samples, free of charge, with the understanding that he was to 
sell at prices quoted in my circular, furnishing equally good workman- 
ship, etc. These promises were not carried out. He made a reduction 
in the price, and a still greater one in quality. 

After I had patiently and persistently labored to establish a reputa- 
tion for accurate, honest work, another advertised ^Heddon's Hives," 
and sent out material in the liat, so inaccurate in dimensicns as to be 
practically valueless to the purchaser. Who suffered by this transaction!' 

I felt as though my inventions, although not patented, should be re- 
spected; that I should be consulted regarding their character and intro- 
duction. 

The control of the manufacture of an article, should not, and does 
not, in the nature of things, tend to increase its price. This control ena- 
bles the manufacturer, by virtue of his greater volume of business, to 
not only employ the very best workmanship and material, but to turn out 
the goods at minimum cost. This secures to !.im a fair compensation, at 
the same time adding nothing to the outlay of the consumer. 

Another point is that no man has as much pride in the excellence of 
the construction of an article, as does the inventor— he who has a pride 
and interest in its introduction. It is not he, but the imitator who is ig- 
norant and careless of the proper bearing, adjustment and construction 
of the new article. His only aim is profit; to-day's profit, regardless of 
the profits of the future. 

It is a duty, and I assure you a pleasure for me to say that I have 
every reason to believe that a vast majority of our bee-keepers, need no 
patent laws to force them to justice. I am mindful of the many substan- 
tial encouragements I have received, as an inventor. 

Mr. A. I. Koot requested the privilege of illustrating and describing 
my old hive, honey board, etc., in his paper, and manufacturing the same 
to supply the demand of his customers. To him, as to every person who 
in like manner recognized justice in the matter, all he asked was grant- 
ed, without money and without price. Mr. Root, however, sent me $100 
as a token of appreciation. 

Messrs. McKallep, Margrave & Co., proprietors of the Hiawatha, 
Kansas, bee-hive manufactory, in like manner sent me $10, wishing to 
manufacture my inventions, upon which they, too, knew I had procured 
no legal exclusive right. 

Do not such men as these deserve our highest respect, and will they 
not receive it? 

It has been said that our inventions are merely mental evolutionary 
growths. I grant it. The patent laws will grant to each inventor just 
that part of that growth which belongs to him— and no more. Suppose 
Mr. B. discovers a principle, but fails to make a practical application of 
the same. Mr. A. does likewise. C. looks at both, and discovers a third, 
which makes the first two of value to humanity. He gets the right. He 
is the real benefactor of mankind. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 75 



Again it is said that if Mr. C. did not discover and monopolize the 
discovery, it would be left in the great secret vault of Nature, where it 
would soon be discovered by another. I grant that. I used to think that 
this was one valid argument against the patent system (not patentees); 
but let us look at it farther: The objection raised is, that when Father 
Langstroth took from this great "vault" his movable frame, he robbed it 
of one great truth, and thus left us one less chance to discover; and had 
he not done so, we would, ere this, have found it. I grant and believe 
the last part of that sentence, but not the first. Truths are infinite in num- 
ber. JSfo matter what A, B or C takes from the vault, there is an infinity 
left, and I found that a thought of this depletion arose from a stronger 
desire to take what some one else had groped about after in the darkness, and 
finally laid outside the vault door, than to go in likewise and meritorious- 
ly bring something else to light. When Father L. held his patent ("mo- 
nopoly"), we are told there was much effort made to rob him of the re- 
sults of his labor. One hive vender, who was infringing his patent, after 
doing so with a set determination; going into lawsuits with him, trying 
to prove priority with this same old story, "used by Mr. M. years ago," 
and failing, proposed a relief fund, which he headed witli $100. Father 
L. rose in his dignity and genius, and said: "Sir, I will not accept one 
cent from you. I only ask what belongs to me." 

All of this is about the patent system, and not patentees. A reason 
why Brown has a moral as well as legal right to patent his inventions, is 
because living under the patent system, he always has paid and likely al- 
ways will pay a tribute to the inventions of others. 

My main objection to the patent system has been the money lost by 
the purchase of worthless inventions. Yet we should not forget the old 
verse which says: 

"Some people, it' they had their pleasure, 

Because silly bargains are made; 
Would deem it a rational measure, 

To lay an embargo on trade." 

Patent or no patent, we should always avoid buying worthless goods, 
worthless either in principal or construction. 

Some have come to believe that whoever asks money for a Patent 
Right, is an extortionist. I think we have shown that the inventor has a 
right to his inventions, the results of his labor. If he has, he certainly 
has the right to sell them in such manner, and at such price as he shall 
dictate, we reserving the right to purchase or not, as we think best. 

The same laws that govern all other lines of traffic are all that are 
needed to govern this. 

Father Langstroth's patent, supplied him with means to introduce 
his valuable inventions to the public. 

Two years before its expiration, his agent came to me and found me 
with hives without movable frames. For the purpose of obtaining $10 
for an individual right, and I presume of enjoying the pleasure of doing 
good to his fellow men, this agent carefully and minutely explained to 
me the superiority of his hive and system of management. I was able to 
discover it- at once, and glad to exchange the $10 for what within those 
two years, proved fo be worth hundreds of dollars to me. 



76 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
Hives. 

No adequate consideration of the progress of invention as applied to 
Bee-Hives, in connection with modern apiculture, can for one moment 
ignore the genius of Rev. L. L. Langstroth,' for it was his invention that 
first made bee-culture a possible, paying business. Some idea of how in- 
timately associated with success in our chosen pursuit, is this question 
of Hives, may be gained when we reflect upon the fact, that thousands of 
patents have been issued upon "improved" Hives, and yet our most suc- 
cessful apiarists are still seeking for a Hive better adapted to maximum 
production at minimum cost. Necessity is said to be "the mother of in- 
vention." Certain it is, that the low prices of our products has compelled 
the specialist to seek by every possible means, to lessen the cost of its 
production. An important factor in this problem is the amount of labor 
required for the attainment of definite results. For many years past I 
have experimented largely with a view of lessening the labor of necessary 
manipulation in the apiary; of devising some method whereby in one hour, 
I might accomplish what had hitherto required two. While conduct- 
ing these experiments, I ascertained that nearly all the necessary manip- 
ulation of bees, might be better and far more speedily accomplished by 
handling Hives more and frames less; that many "short cuts" to the de- 
sired end, might be easily made, that were wholly impossible with the L. 
frame. I also learned the great importance of a proper adjustment of 
combs and the working force, in the attainment of best results; of the ne- 
cessity of Hives that would admit of easy, rapid manipulation, capable 
of being expanded or contracted at will, yet avoiding all extra fixtures 
and complication. I am happy to say that my new Hive embodies all 
these, and more desirable features. It has been thoroughly tested by 
different persons, under varying conditions, who agree with me in the 
claim, that the results attending its use have hitherto been unattainable. 

On going into detail with this very important subject, I will first de- 
scribe the L. Hive, as modified and used by myself; a modification which 
has become quite popular with many of our most successful Honey pro- 
ducers. In recounting my efforts to arrange and manipulate this Hive 
in such manner as to obtain the very best results with the least labor, 
you will see how I was led to the invention and adoption of the New 
Hive. 



SUVUESS IN BEE-CULTUKE. 




The above cut represents my modification of the Langstroth Hive. 
For several years, I used the old standard L. Hive, containing 10 frames, 
and portico. Since changing to 8 frames, and doing away with the por- 
tico, supplying it with the cleat and Bottom-stand, F, it has given me 
much better satisfaction, for the production of both comb and extracted 
honey. 

Above the top of the brood chamber is shown my Honey Board G. 





I will pause to describe this Honey Board, which I deem a necessity 
to the easy manipulation of the Hive, and ever neat, clean condition of 
the surplus sections. 

It is constructed of slats, so arranged that the upper surface of the 
Board contains a Bee space. There is a narrow rim all around the outer 
edge, which receives the lower side of all surplus receptacles, leaving a 
Bee space between their lower surface, and the general top surface of the 
Honey Board. > This general surface is composed of slats, so arranged as 
to leave just eight f inch slots for Bee passage ways, running lengthwise 
of the hive and frames, one slot exactly over the center of each top bar 
below, and extending its entire length. I consider this Honey Board as 
my most valuable invention connected with the above Hive. Reports 
from many of our oldest and most practical Honey producers, who have 
thoroughly tested it, have corroborated this opinion, formed by ten years 
of experience, giving it the most rigid tests. It is in no way a detriment, 
either to the bees or bee-master. We have found queen excluding 
Honey Boards a practical success, and this Honey Board can be made 



78 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

queen excluding by simply widening the slats, to such width as to contract 
the bee-passages between them to too small a space to admit of the pas- 
sage of the queen. The perforated zinc queen excluding metal can be 
used in place of the slats, still retaining the bee space in the Honey Board, 
and in some respects this metal is superior. 

That successful producer, and eminent writer, Mr. W. Z. Hutchinson, 
was the first to make my Honey Board queen excluding, by arrang- 
ing its slats so as to leave only passage-ways too small to admit the queen., 

I was nearly three years satisfying myself that these narrow passage- 
ways were in no way detrimental to the rapid storing of surplus honey, 
and during all this time spent in experimenting with about sixty queen 
excluding Honey Boards, I have been continually discovering more ?-nd 
more advantages to be derived from their use. It now seems certain that 
they are to unfold still more aids to our pursuit, yet imthought of. I am 
quite positive that they are going to aid us greatly in queen rearing, as I 
find that the Bees will tolerate two queens, or cells and queens, in the. 
same hive, at all times in the season, if divided by these queen excluding 
Honey Boards. I think they may yet settle the drone and swarming 
question. 

The under side of our Honey Board has an eyen surface', and when 
placed on the hive, rests bee space above the tops of the movable frames, 
because they rest I of an inch below the top edge of the hive. This is one 
of Father Langstroth's inventions, and in my estimation best of them all, 
and one always to be used by the mass of our Honey producers. To bet- 
ter describe its value, I will quote from the specifications of his patent 
papers, long since expired. Kegarding this invaluable 

BEE SPACE, 

or shallow air chamber above the frames, he says: 

"The apertures or bee passages in the Honey Board may be made 
without being liable to be closed by the bees, as they so frequently are in 
hives which have not this shallow air space. It will* be seen that the bees 
can pass into this shallow chamber from between all the ranges of comb, 
and from the front and rear walls of the hive, and sides of the frames, 
without even passing through the combs at all, and that they can pass 
from the shallow chamber into any of the honey receptacles, without, as 
in other hives, losing much time in the height of the honey harvest by 
crowding through populous combs or contracted passages. 

This shallow chamber, while it greatly facilitates the storage of hon- 
ey in large receptacles, is specially adapted to securing it in small ones, 
which usually meet with the readiest sale. 

1st. The building of comb requires the bees to maintain a high tem- 
perature, and they work to the best advantage when they can economize 
their animal heat; but this they cannot do in small receptacles, which 
communicate with the hive through such apertures as are usually made 
in its top, such apertures not adn-itting freely the heat and odor from 
the main colony, and the bees in a small receptacle being too few to keep 
up the requisite temperature. The shallow chamber, however, like the 
part of a room nearest the ceiling, is in the storing season always full of 
the warmest air of the hive— thus aiding to keep the smallest receptacles 
full of the same. 

If the large openings or bee passages are made in hives having no 
shallow chamber, for the purpose of giving a freer admission into small 
receptacles, of the heat and odor of the hive, the bees often connect the, 
combs of the surplus receptacles with those of the main hive, making it 
difficult to remove the surplus honey in a proper condition, and the queen 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 79 



being thus able to travel over the combs into the receptacles is much more 
liable to enter them for breeding, than she is where the interposition of 
the shallow air space would require her to leave the combs. 

2:1. Bees always desire to work in large numbers, so that they can 
easily intercommunicate with each other, and the common arrangement 
for inducing them to work in small receptacles, is opposed to this instinct, 
whereas the shallow chamber affords a place of repose for multitudes of 
bees engaged in secreting the wax to be used in the surplus receptacles, 
and as a succession of bees are thus constantly ascending and descending, 
they work in small receptacles with scarcely more isolation, and with al- 
most as much rapidity, as though they were merely tilling the upper part 
of their main hive. 

This shallow chamber answers other highly important purposes: (a) 
It prevents the bees from cementing the cover or honey board to the tops 
of the frames or bars, thus enabling it to be more easily removed when 
access is wanted to the combs, (b) It enables the cover to be put over the 
frames or bars with much less danger of crushing bees than if it rested 
on their tops, (c) It permits the bees, wdien the cover is on, to pass from 
comb to comb above the tops of the frames or bars, (d) It aids to keep a 
feeder in cool weather tilled with the warmest air of the hive, (e) It 
gives an air space between the combs and the cover, thus more effectual- 
ly guarding the bees against extremes of heat and cold, (f) It enables us 
to "give the bees better protection against dampness in their hives, as by 
leaving the apertures in the cover open, in cold weather, there is a much 
freer escape of moisture than when the cover rests flat upon the frames 
or bars/' 

The above, written by Father Langstroth, more than thirty years 
ago, clearly sets forth most of the great advantages of this air space in 
our hives, which, after the progress made by the fraternity during this 
whole period, is still considered indispensible by our most successful 
apiarists, almost without exception. 

My Honey Board, as above described, containing a bee space within 
itself, is, so far as I know, the only one which is so constructed as to be 
perfectly adapted to brood chambers and surplus receptacles so arranged 
that they can be used together without the Honey Board, preserving 
proper bee spaces, etc. 

I can assure my readers that several extensive critical tests have 
proven beyond all doubt that the use of such a Honey Board in no way 
tends to discourage the bees from entering the surplus receptacles. 

During three different seasons, when our apiaries numbered hund- 
reds of colonies, unexpected outside demands for these Honey Boards 
compelled us to do without them upon about one-half of our hives, giving 
us a perfect test of their usefulness and postive proof that they cause no 
detrimental effects, while the break-joint principle, i. e., the arrangement 
of the slats of the Honey Board, so that their centers come directly over 
the passages between the brood frames, almost totally does away with 
the mussy attachments of brace combs to the surplus receptacles above, 
and leaves a x>erfect communication or passag-3 for the heat and odor of the 
hive, as well as the working bees. 

Next above the Honey Board is shown my 

SURPLUS CASE, 

D, which contains 28 sections, 4ix4ixlf scant, or "7 to the foot.' 1 I be- 
lieve this to be the best possible style of surplus receptacle, to be used 
without separators. It seems to me to be very nearly perfect. I am sat- 
isfied that I cannot make an improvement upon it. I have never seen one 



80 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



suggested, that I thought was not a detriment. However, I think them 
illy adapted to the use of separators. They are constructed the same ex- 
terior size of the top of the hive, of thin material, with divisions between 
the tiers of sections which are as wide as the height of the sections, (4i 
inches) while the sides and ends of the cases are f inch, or bee space 
higher than the divisions and sections. Tin strips at the bottom, where 
all pieces are even, are tacked on in such manner as to hold the sections 
from sliding out of true position; 

We use no glass, or outer covering to these cases, having proven by 
experiment, that all such are worse than useless. 

Prom two, to four of these cases (usually about three) are used on our 
hives at one time. They are worked upon what is known as the 

TIKRING-TJP SYSTEM, 

which is as follows: When the surplus harvest seems to be 
opening (which can be determined by the appearance of small pieces of 
new brace combs, built between the tops of the frames and cover of the 
hive) we place the Honey Board on the hive (bee space side up) and now 
one case on the Honey Board, turning the dial pins as directed on page 64. 
In a few days we may find this case of sections nearly two-thirds full of 
honey, especially if they were well filled with comb foundation. 
We now proceed to lift it off, which is a very easy task, as the narrow 
edges of the case are all that touch the Honey Board, and the bee space, 
above the slats, arranged on the break-joint principle, have prevented the 
attachment of brace combs or propolis between the sections and anything 
below them. We now place another case on the Honey Board (adjusting 
the register), and place the partly filled case upon the empty one, also ad- 
justing its register showing the date, and estimated amount of surplus it 
contains. 

If the honey flow is good, in a few days another case may be needed 
to give the bees room to do their best, even before all the combs of the 
first, or upper case, are entirely capped. Now we adjust a third case, as 
before, always putting the empty cases on the Honey Board. It is quite 
likely that before more room will be needed by the bees, the upper case 
first adjusted will be completed, when it can be removed and another 
empty one placed under the other two, as before, and so on. This is the 
Tiering-up System, and in my judgment the one destined to become uni- 
versally adopted. As the surplus combs are about to be capped, this sys- 
tem places them in such a position to the brood-chamber, as to facilitate 
speedy finishing, and bright, clean work, as bees often soil white combs 
by constantly traveling over them, especially when moving directly to 
them, from the darker combs of the brood-chamber. Again, opening a 
gap or empty space between the brood-chamber of the hive, and what 
surplus the bees have already made, seems to stimulate them to fill it 
(thus connecting the apartments, with their work), just as soon as pos- 
sible. 

Having thus outlined this Tiering system, I will describe our method 
of ridding the filled cases of the bees that adhered to them when remov- 
ed from the hives. When removing them from the hives, by a 
judicious use of smoke at the top, we drive more than four-fifths of the 
bees down into the lower cases, and then we take the case by its handles 



SUCCESS IN BEE-QULTUBE. 81 

and by a quick, trembling motion, we shake nearly all of the remaining 
bees down in front of the hive. We now carry the case, with its 50 to 100 
remaining bees, to the screen house, where we stand it on end, freely ad- 
mitting the light into the spaces between the combs from either side, 
when within a half hour the last bee will have gone to the wire screen. 

The sides of this hive are t, the ends I, bottom and cover t inch, 
which thicknesses we prefer to thicker material, for other reasons besides 
that it aids in making it a 

READILY MOVABLE HIVE. 

I believe the honey production of the future will demand light, 
"Readily Movable Hives." When one comes to manage large apiaries, 
pushing business upon that scale which necessitates dispatch, he will find 
this Readily Movable feature of more value than all the advantages de- 
rived from such features as necessitate making hives cumbersome. 

Our methods of preventing after-swarms, or increase from the same, 
making increase artificially, as well as many other manipulations, appre- 
ciate such hives. 

I believe that cellar, or other repository wintering, will be the gen- 
eral practice of the future. Here again the same demand is repeated. 

I feel that I cannot urge too strongly against the use of hives that em- 
brace any telescoping principle, i. e., so constructed as to have one story 
over-lap another, so that one cannot be removed from the other by a lateral 
movement, but must be raised up, and let down, when removing or re- 
adjusting. There should never be a dead air space or double covering- 
over the surplus room. Sections should never rest upon each other or on 
the brood frames. The sections should always run paralel with 
the brood frames. 

More recent experiments have proven that hives with smaller brood- 
chambers are better adapted to the most economical production of comb 
honey. Not only this, but at certain periods during the surplus season, 
it is highly advisable, in the production of comb honey, to still more con- 
tract the breeding department to a minimum capacity. 

Among other successful comb honey producers, whose large experi- 
ence has taught them to use small brood-chambers, I may mention the 
names otT. F. Bingham and G. M. Doolittle. On page 373 of American 
Bee Journal for 1884, may be found an article from the pen of Mr. Doo- 
little, plainly setting forth many reasons for using small brood-chambers, 
and at certain periods contracting them still smaller, when producing 
comb honey. While the objects he seeks and accomplishes are nearly 
identical with those sought and accomplished by the contraction method, 
as practiced by myself, the fixtures and consequent manipulations adopt- 
ed by him seem to me much more complicated and impractical than 
those we have used. 

Perhaps I cannot better describe the system, as we have practiced it 
with our modification of the Langstroth hive, than to copy an article of 
mine published in the American Bee Journal for 1885, page 437. 

The illustration shown in this article represents my Hive as shorter 
from front to rear than from side to side. This is not the case, however, 
as its exterior dimensions are 13 inches in width and 19£ inches in length. 
(See first cut in this chapter.) 



82 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

"During the past three years I have been carefully testing a hive- 
contracting system, and I have found it of great value, as regards both 
summer and winter success. It has become a permanent system in my 
apiaries when running for comb honey, and now, after testing it for three 
seasons, I feel prepared to speak of what I know. 

I hive all swarms, whether first or second swarms, upon five Lang- 
stroth frames of foundation, filling up the rest of the space in an 8-frame 
hive, with 2 contractors or "dummies," A, A, as shown in the illustra- 
tion. I find that the queen uses thes3 five combs to that extent that I get 
as much brood in them as in any 7 combs where the whole 8 are used. 
The 5 combs become nearly 5 solid sheets of brood, and, where they are 
reversible, quite all brood. Certain it is that this contraction in no way 
tends to increase the amount of honey stored, but to a great extent 
tends to increase the amount stored as surplus "and decrease the quantity 
stored in the brood-chamber. 

This contraction also keeps much bee-bread out of the hive, leaving 
it in the field, which is by far the best and most economical reservoir for 
it, in this locality. With this treatment, a prime swarm commences work 
in the cases at once; I usually place one case on the hive when hiving a 
swarm. A second swarm usually commences in the surplus cases in 2 or 
8 days after being hived. 

In autumn, when the honey harvest is over, the little brood-chamber 
contains but little honey and pollen (almost none at all if the bees are 
German). I now have much honey in the supers that without contraction 
would have been in the hive, and I am now ready to feed the colony sugar 
syrup for winter. When fed, the bees are in a condition where ail their 
stores are accessible, and to winter with almost absolute certainty, if they 
are kept warm enough. Whether the brood-chambers are almost honey- 
less, or partially stored, depends upon the nature and duration of tlie 
honey-flow, and the blood of the bees. Most bee-keepers are aware of the 
fact that Italians are more prone to load the brood-chamber, regardless 
of the surplus department, both early and late in the season, than are the 
German bees. 

While the system is so nearly perfected that with any bees I 
bring nearly all of the colonies out at the close of the season, so as to take 
one-half or more of their winter and spring stores through the feeder, I 
have it complete as far as Germans and most hybrid colonies are concern- 
ed. I am now at work with assurance of perfecting the system, so as to 
bring out all brood-chambers, with any bees, in a perfect starvation con- 
dition; our honey all gone into the market, and our colonies all ready to 
receive the winter food prepared by the bee-master, as their whole win- 
ter and spring stores. I believe that sugar syrup is better than honey as 
spring stores, till the weather is quite w r arm. and till the bees can fly 
daily. 

I keep the bees on these 5 combs, after placing them on the summer 
stands, until the spreading of the queen and the advance of the sun north 
of the equator calls for more room, when I remove the contractors, re- 
placing 3 combs which are put in the positions occupied by the contract- 
ors, or among the combs of brood, spreading them, according to the 
weather and force of the colony. When this colony swarms, I hive its 
swarm on 5 combs, as above described, and then on the twentieth day af- 
ter swarming, I go to the old hive and find, as a rule, a young, fertile 
queen, eggs in the centre combs, and three or more combs Avith con- 
siderable honey and no brood, which I remove, replacing them with the 
contractors. This old colonv is soon in the supers, having a o-comb brood- 
chamber filled solid with brood. 

I have had colonies, after casting 3 swarms, at work in the supers 
within 5 days after contracting. I think that the advantages of this con- 
tracting system will be seen; or it may be called an enlarging system; 
that is, enlarging the brood-chamber for about 6 weeks during the time 
that the queen is not only the most prolific, but w r hen such prolificness 
gives us bees to become field-workers, just when we most need them. I 
think that it will also be seen, too, with what advantage reversible frames 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 83 




[A A shows the two Contractors— one nearly in position, and the other just ready to go 

down into the hive.] 

may be added to this system. I make the contractors by making a wide 
frame jnst the same width all around, and jnst the size of the standard 
Langstroth brood-frame. It is no division-board, as it has all the same 
bee spaces as has the brood-frames, and thus manipulates very easily. 
When the frame is made, I nail a £ inch board upon each side, and in the 
middle I place a little cubic block, a little smaller than the width of the 
frame; by nailing each side to this block, they will be just a little concave. 
'Through all the summer days,' the contractors are kept at the same 
distance from the sides of the hive and adjacent combs, as the combs are 
kept from each other; but in winter I move them back close to the sides 
of the hive, thus aiding as non-conductors, and giving a little more win- 
tering room; these two points I consider non-essentials, however. 

Some of the contractors I fill with chaff, some with sawdust, and I 
also have 300 made of solid wood, but these are only \ of an inch 
thick, and each pair replaces but 2 conJ)s, leaving 6 instead of 5. When 6 
are used the spaces of the honey-board exactly break joints with the spaces 
below, as with 8 combs; but with 5 combs I move the honey-board side- 
wise as much as it will go and still rest solid on the hive, and then I leave 
the break-joint feature of the honey-board perfect as before. It was by 
the use of this 5-comb system that I first got my best test of the great 
value of the break-joint feature of the honey-board. I never knew how 
much more, queens and comb would get up through where they ought 
not to, till after I placed a lot of honey-boards on some contracted hives, 
and in such a manner that the slots corresponded vertically instead of 
breaking joints with each other. 

My first thought was to have these contractors, broad -frames filled 
with sections, but experience taught me, first, that we did not need any 
more surplus room with a Langstroth hive and complete ''Tiering-up'' 
system; second, it adds complication to have storing in sections going on in 
the brood-chamber; and third, the honey stored there is not fit for mar- 
ket, at least none that I have ever seen comes up to my standard. If it 
was only started there, and finished in a better place, it might do, but as 
such a system complicates labor still more, why should we use the place, 
when we have all the room we want without it, and in a far better and 
handier position? I have not been troubled with the queen entering the 
sections, when I used the honey-boards in proper position, though most 
of them are not queen-excluding, the slots being f of an inch, or double 
bee-space. 

I notice that others have been cotemporary with me in working out 
the advantages of contracting, but so far as I have read, I have not as yet 
seen it systematized as a summer and winter management. I have here 
endeavored to so place it before my fellow bee-keepers, and I do it with 
the full conviction that we can and will yet still further lessen the detail 
labor of manipulation, and keep all the advantages of this valuable sys- 
tem." 

The advantages to be gained from this system of contraction are very 

numerous, many of which were set forth by Mr. G. M. Doolittle about 

one year ago in the American Bee Journal. For some reason it did not 



84 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

at that time meet with much opposition. Whether because not clearly 
understood, or otherwise, I am unable to say, but since the appearance of 
my article as copied above, considerable opposition has been elicited. I 
believe that bee-keepers at large, accord with it, in the main. 

In Gleanings in Bee Culture tor 1885, page 94, Mr. Doolittle, in 
favor of the contracting system, remarks as follows, in answer to a bee- 
keeper, who, when running for comb honey, proposed to hive his swarms 
on a full hive of combs, and then extract honey from them: 

"By so doing the bees found room to occupy all their forces; Avhile if 
only one-half or one-third as many had been given, the bees not being 
able to cluster and work on these combs, would have immediately gone 
into the sections, and gone to work on them. Having thus at once start- 
ed in the sections, the little honey stored in the few combs below will be 
carried to the sections as fast as the queen needs room for egg-laying, 
and the result with me is. that at the end of 15 days from the time of hiv- 
ing, the sections are well filled with honey, and the combs below a solid 
mass of brood, except a little pollen and honey in the extreme upper cor- 
ners of the frames. The object should be in all cases, whether you use 
combs, frames of foundation, or empty frames, to get the bees at work in 
the sections immediately upon being hived. I use six Gallup frames of 
comb (equal to 5 L. frames) for the very largest swarms, while others 
have but 4 or 5, according to the size of the swarm to be hived, and in 
this way I always secure good results. The greatest secret of getting 
comb honey is to get the sections just as near to' the brood as possible ; 
and any plan which allows of one or more inches of sealed honey between 
the brood and sections is certainly defective.'* 

In the same periodical, page 513. Mr. W. Z. Hutchinson says: 

"It does seem as though bees that have but little brood, and plenty 
of combs to fill, store twice as much honey as bees with a hive full of 
brood to care for.' 1 

It must be borne in mind that this system never contemplates con- 
tracting the brood-chamber to a minimum, at such time of year as when 
eggs are laid by the queen will grow into bees to become gatherers dur- 
ing any important honey harvest occurring the same season. 

Many bee-keepers seem to think that it is a great mistake, resulting 
in financial loss, if we do not supply hive, combs, and nurse bees at any 
and all times of year, sufficient to mature all the eggs a prolific queen 
could deposit. To me this looks like the philosophy entertained by the 
Indian, who, having picked up a flint, concluded economy demanded that 
he have a gun made to it. We must remember that nearly all our capital 
is invested outside of the queen, and while it makes no material differ- 
ence whether this capital is equal to the prolificness of the queen or not, 
it is very important that her prolificness should at all times during the 
breeding season be fully equal to this capital. Let me quote from one 
of my articles written several years ago: 

"What is the object in a very prolific queen? The answer always 
comes, 'to produce the greatest number of workers.' Let us look into 
the matter: 

If one is buying queens, they cost from one to three dollars each. 
What is the purpose of th3se purchases'? Most assuredly to change the 
quality and not the quantity of the workers. When the apiary is 
satisfactorily stocked with the preferred blood, then one allows his bees 
to rear their own queens, and they cost not to exceed 25c. each if the bee- 
keeper is by selection improving his stock, and if not. not to exceed 2c. 
each. jSTow, "to get honey we want to get bees," and to get bees we must 
invest capital in queens, combs, hives, yard, and necessary fixtures. Al- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



lowing that the queen costs the one who produces her for his own use, 
25c.., and all the other fixtures $2.50 per colony, we see at once that it 
makes but little difference whether we have extra prolific queens or not. 
I do not want it understood that I approve of any queen that is ab- 
normally unprolific, for such is not the case. I behead all such as soon 
as I find them. But right here I want to say that since I quit the encour- 
agement of abnormally prolific queens, I hardly ever find one of the for- 
mer class. I believe that there is a law in nature that covers the fecun- 
dity of queens, that the more the quantity (above the normal amount) the 
poorer the quality. 

Some advise us to "have extra prolific queens; put each one in a hive 
containing 30 combs, then shift the combs every few days, and make her 
keep them full of brood.'* I tried it— to my satisfaction. I found that 
this method demanded an extra amount of labor — a labor that 
would pay the interest at 20 per cent, on every dollar of the capital invest- 
ed. So I just cut up these large, long hives, making five out of each one, 
and divided those 30 combs among these hives, and reared four more 
queens. Now each queen kept her six combs full of brood without 
any "horse- whipping" whatever, and my colonies became automatic as 
far as breeding was concerned." 

"Keep your colonies strong," has been laid down as a golden rule. 
If that means, keep your bees numerous in proportion to their hives and 
combs. I most freely accord with that rule; but on the other hand, if we 
are to understand that most profit will be realized from the capital and 
labor, when invested in colonies containing greater numbers of bees, re- 
gardless of how acquired, I must dissent from accepting the rule. 

It matters little how many workers you can produce from one queen, 
if you must furnish brood-chamber room and many combs to be filled, 
each with an unknown quantity of brood, honey and bee-bread. 

It is with bees as with their product, the greatest number of bees 
from the least capital and labor, is our object. 

Make your brood-chambers automatic by constructing them of such 
size and shape that a normally prolific queen will occupy them almost ex- 
clusively with her brood, without any tedious manipulation on your part. 
In this way you will secure the greatest amount of surplus honey for the 
capital and labor bestowed, and can if you wish, without special effort, 
bring your colonies out at the close of honey gathering, with very little 
stores in their brood combs, when you can feed them sugar syrup for safe 
wintering, or you can easily manipulate them so as to have your contrac- 
ted brood-chamber fully stocked with natural stores, as will be explained 
farther on. I will now endeavor to illustrate and describe my 

REVERSIBLE FRAMES. 

While the reversing of brood combs will produce no ill effects what- 
ever, numerous, are the advantages arising from such reversal; some of 
which aid us materially in accomplishing the desired results which are 
partially accomplished in the contracting system, above described. 

When using frames even no deeper than the standard Langstroth, 
you know how the bees (especially Italians) will persist in crowding the 
queen by storing honey that ought to go into the surplus department, 
along the upper edge of the brood combs, just under the top bar, and 
farther down in the upper corners, till by actual measurement we find 
that nearly one-fourth of each frame, and sometimes more, is occupied 
with honey. 



86 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



Now if we reverse the frame containing a comb so rilled, we place 
the honey • in an unusual position; in a place usually occupied with 
brood, and when this is done in the breeding season, when the bees are 
not inclined to decrease their quantity of brood, this honey will be imme- 
diately removed to the surplus department, and soon the frame will be 
one solid sheet of brood, which is a glad sight to the bee-keeper whose ex- 
perience has taught him the value of a compact brood nest, free from honey. 

It is also true that reversing the combs late in the season, just at the 
time when brood rearing is giving way to filling the cells with winter 
stores from the last honey yielding flowers, will equally tend toward the 
complete filling of the combs with honey. 

But there is another decided advantage to be enjoyed by one, if never 
but one, reversal. After the comb is completed, and is so attached to 
the frame at the top and part way down the end-bars as to be satis- 
factory to the bees, it will be found much more satisfying to the bee- 
master to have such comb as perfectly attached to the entire end pieces 
and bottom-bar. Such a straight, all-worker comb on wires, thus solidly 
built, is "a thing of beauty and a joy forever 1 ' to the apiarist who has had 
experience with hordes of useless drones (some of inferior blood, thus 
much worse than useless), combs breaking down- queens hiding between 
the bottom of the comb and bottom-bar, bees sticking there when trying 
to brush and shake them from the combs, etc. 

Since the subject of reversing brood-combs has been agitating the 

minds of bee-keepers, numerous are the styles of frames made and pro- 
posed for that purpose. It is with these frames as with hives, honey-ex- 
tractors and other implements, utterly impossible to devise any one style 
of reversible frame that will possess all the advantages of all other styles. 
About one and one-half years ago I devised the style of reversible 
brood-frame, as shown by the illustrations. I made 8,000 of them entire- 
ly for my own use, and succeeded in getting about one-half of them into 
use the first season. I have tested them two seasons, and like them well 




Fig. 1. 

(The above cut is imperfect, as it does not show the inner top bar of the 
inner frame. Fig. 2 will illustrate the true construction of the frame.) 

At a glance, almost any one can estimate the extra cost of construct- 
ing such a frame. I believe this frame to be worth several times more 
than the extra cost, above the common non-reversible frame if we 
should never reverse it but once. 

Again, I much prefer this frame to the old style, even if I never re- 
versed it at all. 

1. I am not troubled with sagging top-bars; and the outer bar, the 

one which governs the uniformity of the bee-space, or Langstroth shal- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



87 



low air-chamber below the honey-board, never sags. It' the inner top-bar 
sags, it does little harm, and when reversed, the sag, is thus corrected as 
it straightens back to place, and the new top-bar (just from the bottom) 
will not sag. In reversing, I either shake off the bees or revolve the inner 
frame very slowly. . I generally prefer to shake off the bulk of the bees, 
and I have found that on an average I spent five minutes to each hive 
(counting opening and closing) in performing the reversal of all the eight 
frames. Bits of comb and propolis bother but little, as the sharp corners 
of the wood pieces shave them away like a pair of shears. 

2. It will be noticed in Fig. 1 that while the top and bottom bars of 
this frame position with the hive the same as other frames, the ends do 
not, and in this difference I find an improvement. It will also be noticed 
that the short end-piece is tapering, regarding its thickness. Now, as 
the whole end positions to the hive, the top is i of an inch away from the 
hive end, the bottom of the short piece f of an inch, and all below that, f 
of an inch away. This large opening, while it greatly facilitates the 




Fig. 2. 
rapid and easy withdrawal or insertion of the frame, is in no way objec- 
tionable, as there is no danger of the bees building combs in even so large 
and handy a space where such space is no higher up than shown in the 
illustration. 

While this frame is of slightly less surface capacity than the stand- 
ard Langstroth frame, it has a greater brood capacity when reversed, and 
fits the same hive as the standard. 

While I prefer this style of reversible frame, to any other, for Lang- 
stroth style of hives, I shall abandon it with the hive. 



^c||P^ 



88 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTUBE- 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
Our New Hive. 

Many bee-keepers who have followed me in my past inventions, in 
trying to improve upon the Langstroth hive, and old system of manage- 
ment, and have adopted my new style of that hive, and of using it, and 
many of whom number their colonies by the hundred, may b3 surprised 
when they learn that I have been experimenting with, and have adopted 
an entirely different style of hive, and am at present supplanting the old 
with the new, in my own apiaries, numbering 450 colonies. 

Since the time when Father Langstroth gave us his valuable inven- 
tions, much progress has been made in our chosen pursuit. His discov- 
eries were so far in advance of his time, that while rapid and long strides 
have been made, in every other department of the pursuit, few, indeed, 
have been the improvements in hives. We have been able to improve up- 
on some of the parts of his hive, but nearly all of the popular hives of to- 
day, embrace little else than his inventions. I think the same 
cannot be said of the new hive I am about to describe; a hive that after 
subjecting to practical tests, has become the decided choice, of all who 
have used it. 

"Necessity is the mother of invention," it is said, and the great in- 
flux into the business of honey production, causing decline in prices, ne- 
cessitates the use of such implements and methods — especially in hives — 
as will give us the greatest amount of surplus honey, for the amount of 
capital and labor invested. 

Some of us have grown from boyhood to manhood, hand in hand with 
this pursuit, and while we are often complimented upon our thorough 
knowledge of the business, it is usually forgotten that we have as signal- 
ly failed to become skilled in any other branch of industry. Such 
is the case, however, and after the best part of a life-time has been spent 
in any pursuit, when that pursuit languishes, circumstances tending to 
make it less profitable, the wise do not hastily desert it, adopting a stran- 
ger, but work the more persistently to counteract the detrimental influ- 
ences, by bringing every possible advantage to bear upon the business. 
This has been our aim. in the invention of the New Hive. Only time can 
fully demonstrate to what extent we have succeeded in meeting this al- 
most universal demand. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



m 




The above cut, though it makes the cases appear disproportionately 
high, will aid us in describing our ]STew Hive; a hive which 
in many features, as well as its system of management, differs from any- 
thing of which I have ever seen or heard, although I have read nearly all 
of the books devoted to bee-culture, and have nearly every copy of 
all the periodicals ever published in the United States, upon the subject. 

In viewing the cut, you will notice that the brood-chamber, as w r ell as 
the surplus department, is composed of two or more 

HORIZONTAL, SECTIONS, 

or departments, each containing a full set of eight frames, each department 
being not only "-reversible," or, more properly termed, invertible, but 
each part perfectly interchangeable with every other. 

After having enjoyed the immense advantages accruing from the 
Tiering system as applied to surplus cases, the idea came to my mind, 
that equal advantages could be realized from the application of the same 
principle, to the brood department. 

But this is not all. In practicing the "contraction method,' 7 and try- 
ing to overcome its imperfections, while enjoying its many advantages, 
I was firmly impressed that it would give us much more perfectly and 
completely, the results desired, if we could make the contraction by tak- 
ing away the top of the brood-chamber, rathe] - than its sides. 



90 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

Following up this suggestion, I determined to make a hive whose 
brood-chamber should be in two or more horizontal sections, or depart- 
ments. 

The question next arose, "what shall be the style, size and shape of 
these cases constituting the brood-chamber, and of what style, number 
and adjustment shall be their frames?" 

After consulting the recorded experience of others, as well as my 
own, I determined to make each brood-chamber part, the same width and 
length as that of my old hive, using the same thickness of lumber for 
ends and sides, and make the depth such as would give each part the 
same comb capacity as is contained in five standard L. frames. 

By careful computation, I found that my cases, to hold the frames, 
would need to be 5f inches high, while the frames themselves would be 
bee-space less in depth, or 5| inches, outside measure. 

The next problem to be solved was, "what style of frame and frame 
adjustment, shall I use?" I pondered long upon this question. I was 
not forgetful of the many advantages peculiar to the "Laterally Movable 
Frames," nor of corresponding disadvantages , of "Fixed Frames," as com- 
monly used. I was mindful of the fact that each style of frame had its 
own peculiar advantages and disadvantages, and that many of us had 
decided that, all things considered, the Laterally Movable Frames gave 
us most advantages, though many of our most successful honey pro- 
ducers, among whom may be named T. F. Bingham, Chas. Dadant & 
Son, and the Hetheringtons, preferred and successfully used frames with 
closed end bars. 

I had also learned the advantages accruing from "reversing" or in- 
verting combs, and determined that, notwithstanding each section or part 
of my new brood-chamber complete with its 8 shallow frames, was rever- 
sible, and reversing each part with its frames, all together, would be the 
common practice, I would have each brood-frame separately reversible. 

The result was that I adopted a plain, simple frame, with simple and 
practical adjustment, that not only gave the advantages desired, but by 
virtue of its shallowness, reversibleness and the valuable use of comb 
foundation for comb guides, removes nearly all the objectionable features 
resulting from the use of closed-end frames, at the same time giving us 
more than the usual advantages gained by their use, by virtue of the 
method of adjustment, and manner in which they are secured in proper 
position. 

I will now proceed to describe the frames and method of adjustment 
in the case, which consists of one horizontal section or department of the 
brood-chamber. First, a brief description of the case, which is 13xl9fx5f 
inches, outside measure, the end pieces being of £ and the side pieces of t 
inch lumber (after being dressed on both sides), the long pieces being 
nailed to the short ones. Before nailing the pieces together, however, a 
rabbet is cut in each edge of each piece. Supposing the pieces to stand 
up edgewise, the rabbet is cut downward three-sixteenths of an inch and 
back from the inner side of the board f inch in the side pieces, and \ inch 
in the end pieces, which leaves I inch of wood outside the rabbet on each 
of the four pieces. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



91 




The above cut, also imperfect, failing to show the rabbet in the top 
edge of the cases, will perhaps aid the reader to better understand my 
description. 

After the four pieces are nailed together and form the case, we nail 
a strip of tin, I inch wide and 12 inches long, down snugly into the rabbet 
on one and the same edge of each of the end pieces. You will see that 
this strip of tin projects inward into the case £ inch, and is up from what 
we will now call the bottom edge, three-sixteenths of an inch. We now 
have two small strips of wood ixfx5f, which we nail in the corners 
of the case, onto one of the side pieces, the f side down, and cen- 
trally located in the case, as regards the top and bottom. These cleats 
are called "offsets;" they are not new, and not essentially a part of my 
invention. 

In the opposite side of the case, centrally located up and down, as 
close to the end of the side pieces as will cause the hole to come through 
just close along beside the end pieces, we bore two f holes, and cut a 
thread in them, turning in a wood thumb-screw (See cut). The eight little 
openings at the corners are filled with small blocks, tacked in. iSTow the 
case is complete. 

Our brood frames are made as follows: The end pieces are #xlfx5f . 
Top and bottom-bars ixl3-16xl8 1-16. They are "dovetailed,"' or 
notched at the corners, like surplus section boxes, so that when driven 
together, their exact outside measure is 5fxl8 1-16, while their case is 
•5fxl8£, inside measure. 

When dropped down onto the tin rests, they fit the case loosely by 
1-16 of an inch in length, and position so as to leave 3-16, or one-half bee 
space, above and below their top and bottom bars, which are just alike- 

In other words, they are centrally located within the case, which be- 
ing bee space deeper than the frames, leaves just one-half bee space 
above, and the same below them. 

It will be seen that the end pieces of these frames are 9-16 wider than 
the tops and bottoms, hence the spaces between the top and bottom-bars 
will always be 9-16 of an inch. When the 8 frames are in position in the 
case, turn up the thumb-screws, and by virtue of the •'offsets" and these 
screws, the end pieces of both outside frames will be held i inch from 
the sides of the case, which leaves the same space between the top bars 
of the outside frames and the sides of the case, that exists between the 



92 



auucjaaa in bee-culture. 



top bars themselves, which gives the bees a chance and directs them to 
make the outside combs of the same thickness of the others. 

The reader will also see that the tops and bottoms of the frames come 
just even with the rabbets in the edges of all the pieces, that form the 
cases, and that wherever said cases find a resting place, they have a bear- 
ing of but f inch, all around. After once using hive-stories, or cases, 
that have such narrow boarings, I predict that no one would be persuad- 
ed to return to the old seven-eights bearings. With the I bearing,- one 
can adjust stories to the bottom board, or to each other, in less than one- 
half the time usually required, and with far less liability of crushing bees. 
This important advantage is the only reason for all the rabbets, except 
the two that hold the tin rests. Our 

BOTTOM-BOARD, 




you will notice, is made almost exactly like our old one, except 
that it is not fast to the hive, but complete within itself. We take 
the same board that we use for the bottom of the old hive, viz: 13x22£xf . 
and cleat it at each extreme end with cleats 13xlixf , nailed edgewise to 
the bottom-board. By observing the cut, yoii will see how the bottom- 
stand is made, and how the bottom-board fits the same. The cleats of 
the bottom-board touch the narrower end pieces of the bottom-stand, just 
a trifle before the bottom-board proper, touches its wider side pieces. 
Such a bearing causes the weight of the hive to assist the cleats in always 
keeping the bottom-board perfectly straight. 

You will also notice that the upper surface of the bottom-board is 
provided with cleats, which are tacked to it in such manner as to form 
a large bee space of over i inch, under the brood frames and over the bot- 
tom-board. The two side cleats are just 19| inches long, and are beveled, 
so that their top surface is f wide, and their low r er surface f wide, and 
they arc f high. The object of the bevel is to give them a very solid 
bearing. 

The cut will show you that they are nailed on flush with the back 
end, and are just as long as the hive. Another cleat of the same pattern, 
and proper length, runs across the back end, between the two side cleats. 

You will observe the hand-holds in the cases, as well as the place cut 
away in the bottom-stand, which admits of a sure and quick grasp of the 
bottom-board, when desired to remove it with the hive. The 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



93 



HONEY-BOARD, 

with the new hive, is made just like our old one (see cuts), except that 
instead of having its bee space all on one side, it is one-half on each side, 
and a honey board thus constructed is stronger than any other. The 
queen excluding metal, works into these one-half bee-space honey-boards 
most admirably, and for all I can see at present, we had better use the 
metal, when we use queen excluding honey-boards. We may be able to 
make wood answer for queen excluding, but as yet, all have failed to do 
so, satisfactorily. The 

COVER 

is of the same outside dimensions as the hive; is of f lumber, cleated with 
1 cleats, and small cleats fx3-16 are tacked all around its lower extreme 
outer edge, so that it, too, has a one-half bee space in its under side. You 
will now see that all the cases and the honey-board, each contain a one- 
half bee-space on each side, and consequently are perfectly reversible at will , 
without adding to, or taking anything from them; simply turn them over. 
The bottom board and cover could also have been constructed to reverse, 
or invert, but not to any advantage that would have compensated for the 
necessary loss of a greater durability and other advantages gained by 
its present construction. I need say nothing of the 

SURPLUS CASES, 

further than that they are constructed on the same plan as are the 
brood-chamber cases, just described. They are proper depth for receiv- 
ing a wide-frame, constructed just like the brood frame described, except 
with top, bottom and end bars, whose widths exactly correspond with the 
widths of the top, bottom and end pieces of the 7 to the foot sections, 
mentioned on page 63. 

Each surplus case is also invertible at will, like the brood cases, having 
the screws to hold the wide-frames fast, and is as properly one side up as 
the other. 




Above is illustrated the style of the wide-frame, showing how the 
sections are adjusted within it. This cut is also imperfect, making the 
frame appear the same width all around, while really the top and bottom 
are t inch narrower than the end pieces. Our surplus case receives seven 
of them at once, holding a tier of 28 sections. Each wide-frame is sup- 
plied with a tin separator in the ordinary way, as shown in the cut. 

These wide-frames are also notched at their corners, the same as are 
the brood frames, and after they are driven together, we tack on our tin 
separators in a most perfectly taut manner, as follows: 

Lay the frame on a board, with cleats tacked to the same, to guide 
the frame to a true square. Now spring inward, the top and bottom bars, 
which tends to slightly shorten the frame. Now tack on the separator, 
and when the frame is removed, it will forever hold it true, and the tin 
will be taut as a drum head. 



94 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



These wide-frame-cases are one story high, and are worked upon the 
Tiering-up system. They are the same length as the brood cases; lue 
ends are rabbeted the same, to receive the tin rests, and narrow the rest- 
ing surface; but their width is greater than the width of the brood cases,, 
except at their edges, which are the same, by virtue of an outside bevel, 
which also narrows their f sides to the regular | rest. 

The cover fits the honey board, surplus and brood cases, all equally 
perfect. The thumb-screws turn up very easily and quickly, and their 
power is so much greater than one might imagine, that when set against 
the frames, if the case be inverted, so as to lose all use of the tin rests, 
the screws prove ten times sufficient. The tins are used to hold the frames 
to proper position when adjusting them to the case, or removing them for 
overhauling the brood department, for minute inspection. 

Although these are "fixed frames," they are readily removed, by simply 
loosening the screws. T will endeavor to explain how we overcome the 
usual difficulties accompanying such frames. By virtue of the exceeding 
shallowness of our frames, and the use of comb foundation, we procure 
combs .almost perfectly straight. The greatest trouble usually arises 
from uneven combs— combs irregular at their tops, just above the cells 
occupied with brood. This occurs mainly from the fact that where bees 
use combs for storing, they leave only about i inch space between them,. 
wUile those used for brood are about twice that distance apart. These 
shallow frames, and the practice of inverting and interchanging the cases 
containing them, gives us straight, uniform combs throughout, and com- 
pletely filled with brood nearly all the time when we manipulate them. 

Among the important advantages of this peculiarly constructed brood 
chamber is the one of perfect 

INTERCHANGEABLENESS 

of all its horizontal cases, or parts. 

The reader will remember at just what time in the year we used eight 
combs, and at what time five combs, in our L. hives, when practicing the 
contraction method. YTou will now observe that when we use one brood 
case only, we are contracted to an equivalent of five L. combs, and when 
we use two such cases, we are giving brooding space equal to ten L. 
combs, and so on. 

Now we use in our brood department one case, or two cases, at the 
same time we are using five combs, or eight combs, with the old hive, when 
practicing contraction. The new hive and its system of management 
is a great improvement over the old, for the following reasons: 

1st. When contracting the new brood-chamber, we divide it hori- 
zontally, instead of vertically, taking away its top, rather than sides, 
giving us all the advantages of a very shallow hive, with brood close up to 
the top bars, and directly under all parts of the surplus case. This ex- 
tremely shallow brood department settles the brace-comb problem, as 
with it, the bees will build scarcely any of these braces, on the tops of the 
upper bars of such shallow frames. . 

2nd. We make the change from the capacity of the ten L. frame 
hive, to five L. frames, almost instantaneously, and without exposure 
to robbers should there be any abroad. 



SUCCESS JN BEE-CULTURE. y. r > 

3rd. When enlarging, by adding to the brood department (when the 
queen needs more room in spring) by the new method we not only per- 
form the work thus quickly, but we place the empty case of combs under 
the case of brood; and while downward is the natural direction in which 
the queen tends to spread her brood nest, upward is the direction taken 
by heat, and this settles the question of "•danger in spreading brood/' 
should the temperature suddenly fall. Although we have made an addi- 
tion* to our brood-chamber which doubles its capacity and places the 
empty combs just where the queen wdl most readily occupy them, we 
have spread no brood. 

Regarding the advantages of shallow combs, let me extract from 
Father Langstroth's article in the American Bee Journal for 1883, page 
490: 

"The broad and low shape, in addition to giving the much desired top 
surface for surplus honey receptacles, has thefollowing advantages: 

It is obviously much better adapted to the use of upper stories, than 
taller hives. It seems more natural to bees to place their stores over 
their central brood-nest, than anywhere else. Why should bees attempt 
the difficult work of upward comb building, against the law of gravity, by 
which their suspended combs are kept in a perpendicular position, while 
they have ample side room for building them in the natural way V Why, 
I say, do they act thus, unless it is most in accordance with their instincts 
to place their stores above their brood-nest? 

If honey, to have its choicest flavor, ought not to be extracted— as the 
Dadants and Other of our leading apiarists assert — before it has been 
capped, and if when all bee-work is most pressing, more colonies can be 
taken care of by piling hive upon hive, filled with empty combs — to be 
emptied when more leisure comes — then the advantages of shallow hives 
are easy to be seen. 

Long and shallow frames are more convenient for most of our neces- 
sary manipulations. 

In handling them the arms take a natural and easy, instead of a 
cramped position. 

With such frames the eye commands the whole surface of a comb, in 
searching for the queen, etc., without that uncomfortable craning of the 
neck which deep frames compel. 

As has been already explained, there is less danger of hurting bees in 
removing or replacing the shallow frames. 

Less moLioii, and of course less time, is needed to take out or put 
back such frames." 

While years of practical experience has taught me the truthfulness 
of the above statements, together with other important advantages ac- 
cruing from the use of shallow frames, I have also become firmly con- 
vinced that the very shallowest combs used by any of us, are just as safe 
upon which to winter our colonies. If you will consult Mr. Bingham, 
who for more than a quarter of a century has continually used a brood- 
chamber containing eight combs, whose length is all of 22 inches, and 
depth but 4* and 5 inches; using these hives beside others of all depths, I 
think he will tell you that the idea that shallow combs are not as well 
adapted to safely wintering their colonies, as deeper ones, is one of the 
greatest mistakes of bee-keepers. 

My experience of 17 winters with the use of combs, varying in depth 
from 4 i to 20 inches, stands in favor of the shallow combs, for wintering; 
accidentally so, I believe, however, for I feel quite sure that the winter- 
ing problem does not hinge upon the depth of the combs employed, and 
that it has little or nothing to do with it. 



96 SUCCESS W BEE-C ULTUEE. 

In the past extremely severe winter, during the great mortality in 
other apiaries as well as my own, when I lost three-fourths of my colo- 
nies, one in the long shallow combs (whose depth is but 4£ inches) came 
through the trying ordeal, proving to be the strongest colony in my yard, 
with one exception. This colony was wintered out-doors with one-half 
the thickness of packing used about the others. I have wintered in these, 
combs, out-doors, thus packed, eight winters, and lost but once, which is 
better than the average of my apiaries 'during that time. Though in- my 
latitude, I shall adhere to cellar wintering, with any hive, were I in- 
tending to leave my colonies on their summer, stands, I should employ 
but one brood case of the new hive, for the purpose. 

If, however, others may differ with me, preferring hives even deeper 
than the standard Langstroth, if they will use two brood cases they will 
have just such a hive; the bee-space betwe3n the two sets of frames serv- 
ing as winter passage-ways through and among the combs. It becomes 
obvious that the brood department of this hive can be made in one story, 
of any length, breadth or depth, preferred; and while losing the advanta- 
ges of tiering and interchanging in the brood department, the other ad- 
vantages enumerated, may be enjoyed. 

Having the brood-chamber in two horizontal sections, or parts, ad- 
mitting of interchanging the upper with the lower portion, at will, for 
the purposes specified, placing the part containing the most honey, be- 
low, putting both in a new position, produces many of the same results 
and advantages given us by inverting, and is made complete by reversing 
one or both of the parts, as their condition may direct, when making the 
interchange. 

The system of interchanging, admits of using more than two sets of 
the frames in the brood department, if any should so desire, and what- 
ever number is used, it enables the bee-master to keep his surplus cases 
and honey-board, always next to his brood. 

After three years of careful experimenting, I much prefer to have 
my brood-chamber no larger than two cases at any time of year, and no 
larger than one case after the colony swarms, till up to the time the 
queen's capacity is equal to more room, the following spring; a time when 
the use of such capacity will give us strong colonies for surplus storing. 
I have found the advantages of contracted brood-chambers to be so great, 
that I much prefer to use them at all times when a greater laying capaci- 
ty given the queen, is of no special value. 

Let us return to the subject of surplus cases, and discuss for a mo- 
ment the question of wide-frames and separators, vs. section cases. As 
before stated in this chapter, I think that the light section case, general- 
ly known as "Heddon's Case," is the best non-separator case extant, and 
I believe such is generally admitted. These cases, made' to hold surplus 
section boxes without frames or separators, have become popular with 
practical honey producers, who, before adopting and testing them, had 
used wide-frames and separators. In every case that has come to my 
knowledge, however, the wide-frames used by the gentlemen mentioned, 
were two-story; i. e., deep enough to hold two tiers of 4i sections; two 
separators being attached to each frame. These frames, as well as the 
cases containing them, were heavy and bungling, their shape illy adapt- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 97 

ing them to fit each other or be keyed up snugly together. This was not 
all: The worst feature regarding these two-story supers, was that they 
were not at all adapted to the tiering method, and invited the bees to 
commence their surplus work too far from the brood. 

During the past four seasons, while using many of my favorite non- 
separatored cases, I have also used by their side several hundred one-story 
wide-frame cases, with separators, and have become a convert to them. 
I know that each style of case possesses advantages over the other, and I 
feel certain that any practical honey producer who will thoroughly test 
my new style of wide-frame case, will agree with me that it is, every- 
thing considered, the best of all. 

It is not only equally well adapted to the tiering method, but is con- 
structed so that all its separators are straight and taut; so that its frames 
are at all times pressed so tightly that no room is left for propolis, or bee- 
glue, and otherwise arranged to avoid gluing; slip out of the cases all in a 
body, when the screws are loosened. Thus we have reserved all the ad- 
vantages of wide-frames and separators, at the same time discarding 
nearly all their disadvantages. 

The above is reason enough for changing our preference, but that is 
not all. This style of surplus case is alone eminently adapted to 

REVERSING SECTIONS. 

For two years we have been testing the practice of reversing our sur- 
plus section boxes. As one might guess, the same law which governs the 
operations of bees when their brood combs are reversed, or inverted, 
equally applies to their actions when reversing their surplus combs. 

If you watch the progress in a surplus case, and when you find the 
least developed comb is worked out to that extent that it has a firm, broad 
bearing on the top piece, and its sides are attached to the side pieces of the 
section, at least part way down, if you now invert the surplus case with 
all its contents, work will go speedily forward; for inverting hastens cap- 
ping, and when the combs are completed, they are not only beautiful to 
behold, and most substantial to ship, but allow the purchaser to notice 
no objectionable tare. The section itself becomes almost obscured, as it 
were. Their shipping qualities, however, are of greatest importance. 

It sometimes happens, especially when honey is coming in more 
slowly, that the bees will taper off and completely cap over some of 
the surplus combs before they have built others to sufficient size to bear 
inverting without great danger of lopping over sidewise. 

These differences are confined to different positions, reckoned side- 
wise in the case, and it is usually the sections in the outside wide-frames 
which are behind in development. 

Notwithstanding my new cases can be reversed and as properly ad- 
justed, with a single motion, each wide-frame is also perfectly invertable, 
and in the few cases in which we have found this slow development in 
the two outside frames, we have quickly loosened the screws, inverted 
thsee two frames, again turned up the screws, then inverted the whole 
case, leaving these outside combs again as we found them, with the others 
all inverted. 

A word in regard to the cause of bees neglecting their outside surplus 
combs, as compared to their work upon the others. 



98 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

If the reader has ever constructed a hive whose surplus department 
was wider than the brood-charnber, jutting out over the same, he has no- 
ticed the partial neglect paid by the bees, to the surplus boxes which 
rested over wood, instead of comb. 

Now this same difference made by the bees, between wood and comb, 
they will also make between combs of honey and combs of brood, and 
with our 8 frame L. hive, we notice far less of this neglect of the side 
surplus combs, than we noticed when using 10 frame hives. This is one 
objection to the method of contracting by replacing the side combs of L. 
brood-chambers with fillers or dummies; with the new hive, however, the 
method of contraction is such that all the combs of the brood-chamber 
are filled with brood. 

We have constructed this hive for reversing, in two different ways; 
the one described in the preceding pages, and as follows, either carrying 
out the principles upon which our invention is based. 

In the first that we made we cut no rabbets in the edges of the cases, 
using them with full width bearings, and we tacked the tin rests or stops, 
at the extreme bottom of the case. The frames rested flush with one 
side of the case, and full bee-space below the other. The cover was flat, 
i. e., without containing any half bee-space; the honey-board of the old 
style, flat on one side and full bee-space on the other, and the cleats on 
the bottom-board £ inch higher. 

After inverting a case, we had to loosen its thumb-screws, and plac- 
ing it crosswise of the lower case, or bottom-board, push the frames 
through to the other side, again tightening the screws. 

Notwithstanding I devised both methods at nearly the same time, I 
first chose this latter one, because it admitted of using the old cover, 
honey-board, and old style of non-reversible cases, greatly favoring those 
who had many of them on hand. After more experience, however, I 
changed my choice to the plan first described and illustrated by the cuts, 
which I now very much prefer, and expect to use exclusively in the fu- 
ture. 

To adjust one of our old cases to the new hive, we only have to make 
a honey-board with a half bee-space on one side, and whole bee-space on 
the other; or we can use the new honey-board by building up one side to 
a full bee-space, by tacking on strips of proper width and \ inch in thick- 
ness. 

Bees can pass through our one-half bee-space of three-sixteenths of 
an inch, but we would not advise so small a space for general use. because 
it will be more readily filled with comb and propolis. I presume the 
reader understands that whether the brood or surplus department con- 
sists, one or both, of one or more cases, the honey-board is always kept 
between the two departments. 

While introducing our old style hive to the public, we have many 
times been asked if there was not danger of the cases being blown off, 
and rain leaking in, where stories did not over-lap, but simply rested flat 
upon each other, touching only at their edges. 

I will here answer by saying that, although we have so used them for 
years, and during that time sold thousands of these hives to others, we 
have neither experienced, nor received reports of any such trouble. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 99 

Hive-stories, to handle easily, should at once admit of a lateral move- 
ment, which "telescoping" stories will not do. I look upon this point as 
a very important one, in the proper construction of hives. 

GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 

I will endeavor tp outline the system of management, to which the 
New Hive is adapted; a system that it is believed, will give us the besl 
results, with the greatest economy of time and labor. Before going 
further, I will quote again from Mr. Hutchinson, in the "Country Gen- 
tleman," as evidence of the fact that our brightest producers will wel- 
come just such a hive and system as the one we are describing: 

"The thought and energy of the whole bee-keeping world appears to 
be directed toward the invention of a reversible frame. Strange as it 
may appear, scarcely any thought is given toward the invention of a re- 
versible hive. It is the writer's opinion that this idea of reversal will yet 
develop a reversible hive; it will not stop with a reversible frame. It is, 
perhaps, natural that invention should progress step by step, but when 
the advantages of a reversible hive over a reversible frame are so obvious. 
it is really deplorable that so much should be wasted upon an intermediate 
step. It'is possible that bee-keepers are so backward in this because they 
know that the adoption of a reversible hive would necessitate the easting 
aside of the hives now in use. Perhaps another reason is. that a rever- 
sible hive will require a different style of frame from the ordinary hang- 
ing one, and bee-keepers argue that this style of frame must be preserved, 
because it is so much more easilv handled. Those who have been follow- 
ing this line of thought would do well to consider whether the time is 
not near at hand when hives, not frames, will be manipulated. 

A beginner in bee-keeping always handles the combs of the brood- 
nest more than does the veteran. Until he opens the hive and makes an 
examination, he cannot tell whether there is a queen in the hive, whether 
she is laving, whether honev is coming in, or whether the bees are starv- 
ing; while the practiced bee-keeper, like the experienced physician, can 
judge of internal conditions by observing external symptoms. Many of 
our most successful apiarists do not disturb the brood-nest from one 
year's end to the other. The Heddon method of preventing after-swarm- 
ing is an illustration of how r we shall yet learn to manage bees by manip- 
ulating hives instead of frames. It is not necessary or advisable in mak- 
ing a reversible hive, or in so managing bees as to avoid handling the 
combs, that movable combs be discarded, as there are times, when a col- 
ony is queenless, or short of stores, or something of that sort, when mov- 
able combs are a great convenience; but to think that combs must be 
moved, all through the working season, simply because they can be 
moved, is a wrong idea. 

When we have learned to manage an apiary by means of "movable 
hives'' (?) then the work of raising honey will be much nearer automatic, 
and it will be more profitable for experienced apiarists to establish out 
apiaries. When this time arrives, and the successful wintering of bees 
has become an established fact, bee-keeping will become more of a spec- 
ialty than ever." 

The above perfectly illustrates many Of the basic truths underlying 
the superiority of the system of management connected with this hive. 
One year ago, I was visiting a well known and justly celebrated honey 
producer, and while overlooking his fine, large apiary, he remarked as 
follows: 

"In those three back rows, there are forty-five hives in excellent con- 
dition, not one of which have been opened in five years." 

At that date the hives consisted of the brood-chambers only, and it 
was of them that he spoke. Those colonies were managed for surplus 



100 tiUUCJSSS US/ BKE-VULTUUE. 

only, and worked by a bee-master of twenty years' experience, and had, 
I think, yielded a larger profit' on the capital and labor expended, than 
any equal number of colonies in the country. Here we have practical ex- 
perience similar to my own, verifying the statements made by Mr Hutch- 
inson. I have no doubt but that many important manipulations were 
made with those forty-five hives, but none of the purposes of these man- 
ipulations necessitated moving the frames. No favors were ever shown 
robbers. Very little time was employed for any manipulation. 

I have so constructed the New Hive, that natural swarms can be 
hived, increase made artificially, queen cells all cut out, queens found, or 
their laying determined, the combs almost or quite cleared of all bees, 
queens or cells introduced, brood-chambers contracted or enlarged, combs 
all inverted, prime swarms prevented or discouraged, after- swarming 
prevented, and many other useful manipulations performed in less than 
one-fourth the time usually employed, because we do it ■all without the 
necessity of handling the frames. 

It is true that the special comb honey producer, even with this hive, 
will, in rare instances, need to move the brood-frames, and when he does, 
he will find them among the very easiest of removal and re-adjustment. 
They are combs of brood, not honey. He will find that in their removal 
from, and replacing in, the case, their arrangement with each other and. 
the case, reduces the danger of crushing bees, or the pains needed to pre- 
vent the same, to the minimum. You will remember that the frames are 
only about five inches deep, outside measure, and the top and bottom 
pieces just the width of the thickness of worker brood combs. Also that 
the ends of the frames fit each other, and the ends of the case snugly. 
Bees cannot go between or behind them. 

After a case has been inverted, you will find the combs built out solid 
in these frames. There will then be no ledges, or open places in which 
bees can lodge. There will be only nine straight ranges between the 
eight combs and sides of the case. These openings will be a little over 
one-half inch in width. 

Suppose now that we are approaching our hive, and wish to find the 
queen. We puff a small volume of smoke across the entrance, to drive 
in and subdue the guards; lift the cover, blow a whiff of smoke down into 
the surplus case, or cases. Now lift them with the honey-board, from 
the brood-case, pour a volume of smoke onto the top of the brood-frames, 
and wait a moment, and usually by lifting the case you will see your 
queen on the bottom-board. When she fails to run down, puff once more 
upon the tops of the frames and shake your case over a shade-board, in 
front of the hive, and your queen and nearly every bee will be found on 
that board. We have done this on very many occasions, and always with 
the same results; and we do the work in less time than you have taken to 
read our description of procedure. 

If we wish to clip queen-cells (something we do not practice), we pick 
up our case, shake out the bees, and standing the case on end, we can see 
every cell from one side or the other, and cut out every one with a com- 
mon pocket-knife, and do it in less time than we can get out the first 
frame from our common hives, in many instances. 

As we can, almost with a motion, divest a case of practically all of 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTUEE. 101 



its bees, and the cases being so shallow and comb spaces equally open on 
each side, you will perceive with what ease and dispatch we can perform 
nearly every necessary manipulation. During the short period that we 
employ two brood-cases, we sometimes have to handle, the second one to 
complete our work. 

For shade, during the heated season, we use a board two feet wide 
and three feet long. These we sometimes cut from wide boards, but of- 
tener form them by cleating two or more boards together. Our hives 
front east, and the shade-boards rest lengthwise on the hive, about cen- 
trally situated, but sidewise we place the north edge of the board even 
with the north side of the hive, allowing all its extra width to project 
over on the south, or sunny side. This board shades the hive, except in 
early morn, and just before sunset. We hold the shade-board in place by 
the use of a stone weighing about fifteen pounds, and we find that we can 
handle this stone with ease, and very much quicker than we could man- 
ipulate hooks or other devices to hold the board in place. 

Our surplus registers being always on the north side of the cases, are 
never obscured by this shade-board. 

Among other important advantages gained by this system of manip- 
ulation, I wish to call the reader's attention to three: The sudden ad- 
mission of light from both sides of the case (an admission which is com- 
plete, owing to the shallowness of the combs, and wide opening between 
them) is almost equal to smoke, in its tendency to subdue the bees. 

Again: the practical bee-keeper has observed how immediately bees 
willingly yield to manipulation, giving up all attempts to protect their 
stores, when suddenly shaken from their combs. The bees that attack 
us, are usually from the combs not yet shaken. With our system we 
pinch no bees, nor otherwise irritate them; and when we shake them from 
the case, they at once give up all ideas of opposition, lying quiet, and 
completely subdued. 

Another no less important feature connected with the system, is the 
very slight exposure of the combs to robbers, during any ordinary man- 
ipulation. Since the introduction of. our surplus cases and one-story 
wide-frame supers, we have been able to remove them, and shake out 
nearly all the bees, without exposure to robbers. jSTow. we have gained 
much of the same advantages, as applied to the brood department. 

if ears ago, I learned that for ease and effectiveness in dislodging the 
foothold of bees, whether shaking them from a single frame of comb, Gr- 
out of a case, a, trembling, vibratory motion, added to an easy, jerking 
movement, was the best. 

If you have carefully followed our description of how we work our 
old style of hive, for comb honey, on the contraction and tiering system , 
you now understand how we manage the New Hive for the same results. 
We have also shown how we can accomplish many desired ends, by the 
tiering of brood and surplus departments, and how we can accomplish 
nearly all that is desirable, by handling cases, rather than frames. 

You can now-guess how well adapted and easy of manipulation is the 
New Hive 



102 SUCCESS W BEE-CULTURE. 

FOR EXTRACTED HONEY. 

For this purpose we supply ourselves with an ample number of brood 
cases, for each colony. After deciding how many of these cases we wish 
to devote to breeding, and how many to surplus honey, we place a queen- 
excluding honey-board, as before described, between the cases devoted to 
the different purposes. We produce the very best of extracted honey in 
these shallow cases by the tiering-up method, as described by Mr. Dadant 
in his able little work on ''Extracted Honey," and practiced by ourselves 
over twelve years ago, with shallow L. frame supers, used upon full 
depth hives, upon the same tiering plan. 

By years of experience, we well know the superiority of this method 
of raising extracted honey for sweet sauce. When using the L. frames 
exclusively, and shipping most of my extracted honey to manufacturers, 
to save complication regarding size of frames, I preferred one story of 
the same size frames, for my surplus department; but now there is no 
sale for ''unripe" honey, and as I am choosing shallow frames for my 
brood-cases, I certainly again advise, and shall practice using all frames 
alike, and upon the tiering system, to which these frames are so well 
adapted. When extracting, the bees can be removed from the cases by 
shaking, and all the frames removed from the case at once, by laying it 
upon our honey table, and loosening the thumb-screws, when the case can 
be lifted from all the combs, with a single motion. 

When commencing the use of this style of hive for extracting, as 
with others it becomes necessary, of course, to have combs built in your 
frames; a work which we greatly facilitate by the use of comb founda- 
tion. We wire these little frames with No. 30 plated wire, and fill them 
with full sheets of foundation, the same as we have done with the L. 
frames, as described on pages 62 and 63. As our top-bars are quite thin, 
(for which there are good reasons) we place between them in central po- 
sition and pressed into one side of the foundation, the slim metal stand- 
ard which has been used in L. frames for some years, which was given to 
the public, I believe, by Mr. Root, of Medina. 

You will see that our extracting "cases are precisely like the brood- 
cases, and can at any time be used for either purpose; or in other words, 
we use a series of brood-cases for extracting purposes, worked upon the 
tiering plan, using queen excluding honey-boards to limit the queen to 
any given number, according to the season; or she may be allowed to 
range at will through all the cases, as has been the former practice; which, 
while it has a tendency to discourage swarming, it can by no means be 
depended upon to entirely prevent it in my location, consequently I much 
prefer to confine the queen to one or two cases, much the same as we do 
when producing comb honey. 

In locations similar to my own, where we have an autumn harvest 
consisting of amber-colored honey, which brings very nearly as much in 
the extracted form as in combs, I have found it advisable, even with the 
old style of hive, to prepare them a double outfit of surplus receptacles; 
one for comb honey, as before described, and another consisting of eight 
regular L. combs in a super of the same size of the brood-chamber. At 
the close of the white honey harvest, all receptacles for comb honey would 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 103 



be removed, the extracting supers taking their place for securing the fall 
crop. 

With the new style of hive, we use the extra brood-cases in the same 
way and at the same time we formerly used the old extracting supers. 
While I practice hiving swarms upon foundation, in one of the brood- 
cases, with one or two section cases above, when I wish to add a second 
case to this colony, the following spring, I much prefer to have combs, 
rather than foundation, and these we will have on hand, having had them 
drawn during the preceding fall harvest. 

Without consuming space in giving the reasons, I think the reader 
now understands the construction and method of manipulation con- 
nected with this hive, sufficiently to realize its adaptability to queen-rear- 
ing, and hiving second swarms whenever the bee-keeper desires rapid in- 
crease. 

In the preceding chapter we spoke of contraction as a means of bring- 
ing the brood-chamber at the close of honey gathering, out in an almost 
honeyless condition, which placed the same amount of honey in the sur- 
plus receptacles that otherwise would have been in the brood combs. 

The reader will not fail to realize that this contraction, when 
practiced with the JSTew Hive, will more perfectly accomplish that desired 
end. He will also see how well adapted is this arrangement, to 
wintering his bees upon natural stores, without feeding at all: for he can 
at any time during the season and during the honey flow from any vari- 
ety of blossoms whose nectar he may consider safest for winter stores, 
quickly fill a brood-case of combs with said preferred honey, laying the 
same away until just at the close of brood-rearing, when he can transfer 
the bees into it in one minute by placing it upon their stand and shaking 
them all out of their case, letting them run into the new one; or it may 
be placed on top of the old one, and most of the bees be driven up into 
it with smoke, the remainder being shaken from the old case as be- 
fore, or the old case may be left under the full one throughout the win- 
ter, if they are to be wintered on the summer stand, and the bee-keeper 
fancies they will be safer with greater comb depth. In either case the 
stores will be always accessible. 

I think the reader will plainly see that this arrangement for a bee- 
hive, is most eminently adapted to the speedy accomplishment of almost 
any desired end pertaining to the winter or summer management of bees. 

Although we gain most profit from the production of light honey, 
by selling it in the comb, we have not failed to realize that during our 
most copious honey flows we meet with loss that the extracted honey 
producer does not suffer, from the fact that our wax-working bees can- 
not construct combs fast enough to furnish storage room for the field 
workers. 

Many have endeavored to overcome this loss by extracting from their 
brood-chambers, which have usually heretofore been so large that much 
of their comb capacity has been occupied with honey representing idle 
capital, it proved, however, that such a practice only tended to change 
our crop of honey from comb, to the extracted form, as the bees imme- 
diately re-filled the empty combs before the queen could occupy them. 



104 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

and if the bee-master again extracted them, again they would be re-filled, 
the bees at the same time, more or less withdrawing their forces from the 
surplus department; thus their efforts to prevent the loss, were futile. 
The arrangement of the New Hive is perfectly adapted to overcoming 
this difficulty. 

When our basswood blossoms begin to secrete nectar in quantities 
beyond the capacity of our comb builders, we place a brood section of 
empty combs on top of our surplus cases, all being interchangeable and 
perfectly fitting each other. The completed storage room given in this 
position, catches the overflow, and at the same time does not discourage 
the completion of the surplus section combs, as does extracting from the 
brood-chamber. This brood, or extracting case, can be removed at any 
stage of its development preferred by the bee-keeper (we usually leave it 
till about one-half of the cells are capped over), then taken to the honey- 
house and extracted at once if the combs are needed, or placed on end 
with sides left open, in which there is no better place off the hives for 
honey to "ripen" to its most perfect consistency. 

Though we have never made or used such, we think an extractor 
should be constructed to take eight of these shallow frames at once. They 
should rest lengthwise in a vertical position, hanging by the projection of 
one of their end bars, the lower projection passing under the wire frame 
rest, and all can be turned around without lifting out of the machine. 

These shallow combs contain many less hollows, or sunken places, 
which greatly facilitates the uncapping process. 

This fact and others which favor their adaptability to the extractor, 
we think more than overcomes the disadvantage resulting from the 
greater number to handle. 

I believe that by virtue of the style and method of adjustment of the 
bottom-board, cases and honey-board, that by using the latter, made 
queen-excluding, we can place them in such way as to control swarming, 
and flight of drones, without the serious objections realized by the use of 
entrance attachments, which we have enumerated on pages 22 and 23. 

If you place one of the queen-excluding honey-boards on the bottom- 
board, and the brood cases upon it, you will preserve proper bee-spaces 
throughout, and force all bees to pass through the honey-board, in leav- 
ing or entering the hive. The drones and queen cannot leave or enter the 
cases. By experiment we found that this arrangement did not retard 
ventilation, nor in any way disturb the normal tranquility of the colony; 
but farther than this, we have not experimented. What shall we do 
with our imprisoned drones? How can we catch our queens, when they 
attempt to go out with the swarms? 

I have faith in a simple arrangement, for catching and holding them 
imprisoned, in a movable box, adjusted to the side of the brood-chamber, 
near the front end, but not in front of the entrance; thus in no way re- 
tarding ventilation, or egress and ingress of the - workers. As soon as 
perfected and tested, it will be publicly described, and attached to the 
New Hive, if proven a practical success. 

Although of plain and simple construction, I have not in the fore- 
going, aimed to give a detailed description of the New Hive; one intend- 
ed to guide to accurately manufacturing the same. 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 105 

Had I endeavored to do so, I should have failed to impart all the 
knowledge required to warrant all of our bee-keepers, who might so de- 
sire, in attempting to construct the hive, perfect in all its essential fea- 
tures. The only safe guide — the only one upon which 1 wish to place its 
reputation — is a complete and perfect sample to work from. 

I have endeavored to describe the hive and system of manipula- 
tion adapted to it, sufficiently to impart to my readers, in so far as pos- 
sible, that same knowledge of its superiority, that is possessed by myself 
and the few others who have practically tested it. 

I trust that nearly all of my readers now comprehend the ease, com- 
fort and dispatch with which an apiary can be managed to a dollar and 
cent success, with all its colonies in our new style of hive. 

I trust that you realize the many advantages that always belonged to 
all styles of -'fixed frames," and that in the arrangement of this hive, 
nearly all of their former disadvantages have been obviated. 

The depth of the cases is such that six inch pine lumber, if it runs 
full width and is dry, will be suitable for their construction. This is no 
small item, as pine of that width can be purchased of much better quali- 
ty, at the same price of wider lumber. 

The construction of this hive is not adapted to inaccurate work; all 
parts should be well made, of good material, and exact measurements. 

The hive and method of management is so peculiar, and different 
from all others, that I do not predict for it a very easy or rapid introduc- 
tion. Experience has taught me that the advantages realized in its prac- 
tical use, are far greater than will be conceived by the theorizing of our 
most practical honey producers. 

Last season I employed a bright apiarist, of many years 1 experience, 
to assist us for a few weeks during the rush of storing and queen-rearing. 
The first day in the apiary, he curiously looked over and handled some of 
the New Hives. He shook his head, and remarked: "1 do not like your 
New Hive." A week later, he said: 'T have handled several of your 
New Hives to-day, and I like them pretty well; much better than I 
thought I should." A few days passed, and said he: "I have come to 
like your New Hives better than anything I ever handled before 
Nearly a week passed again, when one evening, sitting on our veranda, 
after supper, talking of other subjects, after a silence of some minutes, 
he looked down to the ground in a reflective manner, and said what I 
hope may prove true: "To-day I have handled many of your New Hives, 
and I am now forced to the conclusion that they are destined to revolu- 
tionize the production of comb honey." 

I have no fears but that time and experience will cause bee-keepers 
to give it all the credit that belongs to it, and further than this, I should 
not and do not desire. 

I have procured a patent upon the New Hive, and in the chapter on 
the subject of ''patents," may be found my reasons for so doing. I have 
been encouraged to do so by many of the best men of our brotherhood. 

In a private letter, dated Sept. 30th, 1885, Father Langstroth pens the 
following, which I publish by his permission: 

"He who makes an important invention and patents it, is a public 



•n 



106 SUCCESS US! BEE-CULTURE. 

benefactor, and no one who calls himself an honest man, should attempt 
to infringe upon his rights." 

But for the occasional dishonest bee-keeper, no patent would be nec- 
essary; but I believe that the final interest of the great mass of honorable 
apiarists, as well as that of my own, demands the expense and trouble of 
the patent referred to. 

Mr. Hutchinson, who, during the past season, thoroughly tested the 
New Hive, writes me that he finds it greatly superior to anything he has 
hitherto used, and now expects to use it to the exclusion of all other hives, 
in the future. 

I do not claim perfection for this hive. After all my study and ex- 
perimenting, it may still be open for improvement. I doubt, however, 
if any hive can be made, that will be equally good, unless it embraces 
some of its essential features. 

In these chapters on hives, I have, in keeping with the spirit of this 
book, outlined only such construction and manipulation as I have found 
to be best. I have not aimed to discuss the merits and faults of imple- 
ments and methods that I consider inferior. I have written from the 
standpoint of my own observation and experience. 



CHAPTER XXV. 
Wintering. 

Have we yet found a satisfactory solution to this problem? I do not 
know just how to answer such a question. If it is a fact that we can car- 
ry safely through the winter and spring, any or all of our colonies, with 
as great certainty as we can winter oxir cows and horses, does that war- 
rant us in answering the question in the affirmative? If so, I will say 
"yes."' 

But it still remains a fact, that while we have learned how to accom- 
plish the above, we do not yet know just where the line may be drawn, 
between all the conditions that are, and that are not, necessary to the at- 
tainment of that very desirable result. 

My past experiments compel the belief that I can winter my colonies 
with certainty, but just how to do so with the least trouble and expense, 
still remains an important problem for future experiments. 

I feel positive that if I take a normal colony of bees, after all storing 
from natural sources is over, and exchange their combs for those con- 
taining neither pollen nor honey, and then feed them with a sufficient 
amount of properly prepared sugar syrup, place them in a cellar early, 
and keep the temperature at the proper point, their safe wintering be- 
comes a practical certainty; but I am of the opinion that almost as good 
results can be attained, with less trouble; results of greater value, in pro- 



SUCCESS JN BEE-CULTUEE. 107 

portion to their cost. The verification or disproval of the correctness of 
this opinion will be sought in my future experiments with this problem. 

In canvassing this very important and much mooted subject. I think 
it is not necessary to try to prove that our only cause of winter loss. 
worthy of mention, is bee diarrhoea, for I think that all have so conceded. 

The first question before us then, is what is the cause of bee diar- 
rhoea? This disease seems to be of the intestines, caused by a too long 
retention of fecal accumulations. Certain it is that these accumulations 
could not take place unless the substance forming them was contained in 
the food of the bees, because chemical analysis shows the matter to be 
such as could come from no other source. 

The next question to be solved, is whether the great variation in dif- 
ferent colonies, regarding these accumulations, is due to difference in 
food or different surroundings. 

The preponderance of evidence greatly favors the difl'erence-in-food 
theory. Hundreds of bee-keepers Lave had colonies sick and dying, close 
beside others in perfect health, after they had fixed the conditions of 
temperature, humidity and ventilation, the same with all. 

This gave rise to the opinion that the cause of the malady was due to 
"fall honey:" "boneset honey;" "sour honey;" "honey dew," etc., etc. 
Chemical analysis, however, proved that the fecal matter consisted main- 
ly or entirely of pollen and water. Experience also showed that the vir- 
ulence of the disease was in proportion to the predominance of pollen 
grains, contained in the fecal mass. These and other observations gave 
rise to what is known as 

THE POLLEN THEORY; 

a theory which is credited to the author, and has been much discussed 
throughout our periodicals devoted to bee-culture. I, too, had am- 
ple evidence that the cause of the disease was contained in the food, and 
began to ponder on the subject. 

I called to mind the fact that honey was a highly oxygenized food; 
that pollen was as highly nitrogenized; that these two greatly varying 
substances, so radical in their elementary principles, were the only food 
for our bees, and how well the one fitted their confined state, while the 
other equally served their demands while growing or repairing the waste 
of tissue caused by exertion. I also remembered how utterly unfit was 
either, to serve the purpose of the other. I then grasped the idea 
that possibly the consumption of nitrogen in confinement, was the cause 
of all the trouble, and that this element was taken when the bees con- 
sumed honey (by way of its floating pollen), or in much greater propor- 
tion when they consumed bee-bread. I put this forth as a theory only, 
hoping that a discussion upon it would lead many others into the investi- 
gation. As time passed, and opportunity offered a partial test, more and 
more plausible this hypothesis appeared. Last winter gave us a chance 
for better testing this, as well as other theories, and I offer you the fol- 
lowing from my experience, as bearing upon the subject. 

In the autumn of 1884, 1 placed bees in two cellars; one containing 
40, and the other 91 colonies. The old cellar containing the 40 colonies, 
was at all times very dry, while the new one containing the 91, was very 
damp. Both cellars were allowed to become quite too cold, to test the 



108 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



endurance of bees with sugar syrup; the temperature in the old cellar 
was down as low as 10 and 15 degrees above zero, in the new, damp cellar, 
as low as 25 degrees. The old cellar contained bees with sugar syrup 
only, and of its 40 colonies, all but five died, with no symptoms of diar- 
rhoea in any hive. The new, damp cellar, containing the 91 colonies, had 
73 colonies without pollen or honey — sugar syrup only— 10 colonies with 
little pollen, and stores of part honey and part sugar syrup, and 8 colo- 
nies having all natural stores. This cellar was so damp that mold col- 
lected on the alighting-boards and between the combs, on the under side 
of the covers, etc. About one-third of the colonies had upward ventila- 
tion by way of nails pushed under the board covers; the other two-thirds 
had no upward ventilation whatever. In numerous hives, water could 
be seen running out on the alighting-board. If the covers of those hives 
which were tight down, were lifted and turned up edgewise, water would 
run from them. In spring, the health of the 91 colonies stood thus: Of 
the 8 on natural stores, 6 died with diarrhoea, and the other 2 came 
out in good condition. All were treated alike with no upward ventila- 
tion. Of the 10 with little bee-bread and mixed stores, 8 lived, while 2 
died. Of the remaining 73, with nothing in the combs but pure sugar 
syrup, not one showed any signs of diarrhoea, whatever. 

I will now state how matters stood with the out-door colonies of this 
same home apiary. I had 49 colonies, each on 6 American frames with 
combs, in tenement hives, that in summer contain 19 combs, all resting 
horizontally. On either side of the 6 combs and bees, was a 2-inch chaff, 
cloth-sided division-cushion; over all, in the upper story, was a large 
chaff cushion, about inches thick. These hives were painted white, 
and rested high, so that they were above the most of the snow. Twenty- 
five of them contained no honey, and only a cell of pollen here and there, 
and were well supplied with sugar syrup; 24 contained a little honey and 
bee-bread, and all the rest of the food was sugar syrup. I had no idea of 
losing any of these colonies, but in this I was in error, for every one died. 
Among the 25 there was scarcely a sign of disease; the combs were clean 
and nice. Among the other 24, there was occasional symptoms of diar- 
rhoea, here and there, but nothing to amount to anything. 1 have had 
colonies show many times more symptoms of disease and survive, and 
come up strong for the June honey harvest. None of these colonies died 
of diarrhoea. Of what did they die? Cold, too long continued; and those 
in the old, cold cellar did the same. But how in a cellar? Cold is a giant 
in a cellar. Why? Because it continues; there is no ray of sunlight, no 
immediate raising of temperature, or chance for the bees to change po- 
sition. What degree can bees stand? That depends upon the duration. 
Here is the important point that too many of us have overlooked. Forty 
degrees below, can be endured for a short time, but 10 to 15 degrees above, 
will kill bees if continued, diarrhoea or no diarrhoea. 

It is the temperature within the hive, that effects the bees, and it re- 
quires time for the temperature without to effect the temperature within. 

In this same yard stood 17 colonies lower down and packed warmer 
than the 49 just referred to, all being on full natural stores of honey and 
pollen, and in the regular 8-frame Langstroth hives. All but two, 
died. All of them had diarrhoea badly. Not until we could remove bee- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 109 



diarrhoea, could we get a clear view of any other causes which might re- 
sult in the death of our bees. 

Just to the left stood 73 colonies packed like the above 17; these 
had little pollen in their combs, and stores of a mixture of sugar and 
honey, just the same as the 10 referred to in the new, damp cellar. They, 
like the 17, were low down, and were pretty well covered with snow dur- 
ing the severe weather. Of these 73 colonies, about one-half survived. 

Of my out-apiary of 208 colonies, all packed, and all on natural stores, 
nearly all died. 

But let us go farther. Not satisfied with this, I began sending speci- 
mens of excreta to Prof. Cook. The first specimen was excreta from a 
radical case of diarrhoea, with bees all dead, one among the eight which 
died in the new cellar. 1 also enclosed some pollen from the comb con- 
tained in the frame from whose top-bar I took the excreta. The Pro- 
fessor answered as follows: U I have subjected the pollen to a very care- 
fid examination with a one-sixth objective. 1 find several kinds of pollen 
grains, two of which are by far the most common. One is oval, rather 
pointed, with a longitudinal slit and numerous projections; the other is 
globular and thickly set with projections much like those in the 
other. I then studied the excreta, and had some one else made the 
change. 1 should have stoutly maintained that the objects were the same 
that 1 had just studied. The kinds of pollen were exactly the same in 
style and markings. The pollen you sent had been liberally appropriated 
by the bees whose excreta you sent." 

1 will here state that no attempt at breeding had been made by this 
colony. 1 will quote from another letter from Prof. Cook: "I went to a 
neighbor's bees, all of which are dead, and I took three with long, black, 
turgid bodies and dissected out their alimentary canal as before. The 
stomach and intestines were fairly bursting with repletion; slight pres- 
sure sent the black, odorous excreta flying. This was almost one exclu- 
sive mass of pollen-grains held in a watery mixture.'" 

Before further considering the pollen theory, let us discuss other con- 
ditions which are supposed to bear directly upon the problem. 

VENTILATION. 

Notwithstanding much stress has been placed upon '-pure air" for 
bees, I have long thought that success in wintering, rested almost en- 
tirely outside of ventilation. I have seen so many colonies come from 
most illy ventilated repositories, in splendid condition, and had so many 
reports of like nature from reliable sources, that I am forced to regard 
that question of minor importance. 

Last winter I received a letter from Mr. Boomhower, of New York— 
a bee-keeper who winters his bees with greatest success— from which I 
quote the following: 

"All ventilators to bee-cellars are a damage and amount to nothing. 
This has been proven to me over and over again." 

In response to a question bearing directly on this subject. Prof. Cook 
sends me the following: 

"Bees certainly use air all winter; if wintering well, very little will 
do— perhaps simply what is in the hive— but unless they are kept very 
quiet, they would need more." 



110 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

In my opinion, this quietude is dependent upon temperature and 
food. In our Mich. State Bulletin, No. 8. the Professor, among other 
wise and useful instructions, presents to bee-keepers the following: 

11 Ventilation has also been much discussed, and various theories have 
been offered, ¥et the physiologist, and especially the physio-entomolo- 
gist, will not be easily persuaded that insects whose functional activity 
is so slight that a minimum of food supplies their wants, stand in need 
of much air. One year at the College I sealed a large colony of bees with 
ice frozen solid at the entrance of the hive, and yet the colony wintered 
exceptionally well. This colony remained for more than three months 
entombed in a snow bank. As the hive was glued or propolized at the 
top, we can see that the ventilation was slight indeed. Thus physiology 
and experience both show that under the best conditions, little heed need 
be given to ventilation. While bees do not hibernate in the sense of be- 
coming totally inactive, yet they may and should have their vital activi- 
ty kept at the minimum, else they will need air and quite ample ventila- 
tion. As we have already seen, cold or heat— that is a temperature much 
below or above 45 degrees F.— arouses bees, excites nutrition, and of 
course would necessitate more food and oxygen, and so more ventilation. 
Unless we can keep the bees then, in just the condition to enforce quiet, 
we must arrange for ample ventilation. 

It goes without saying, that the temperature inside a hive, in which 
bees are wintering, must generally be warmer than that outside the same. 
The fact that bees do not hibernate, establishes this truth. The ther- 
mometer confirms it. We know that moisture is sure to collect on a cool 
surface; but water dripping upon bees cannot be healthful. The dis- . 
turbance and the wetting would both be injurious. To winter bees then 
with the best success needs a covering that is not a good conductor of 
heat. Experiments on quite an extended scale have shown me that this 
is not all theory. 

We see then that the requisites to success in wintering bees are: 
enough good food, uniform temperature without the hives at about 45 
degrees F., slight ventilation, and a cover to the hive which is a non-con- 
ductor of heat." 

Mr. W. H. Shirley, of Millgrove, Mich., relates an instance of his ob- 
servation, where a farmer neighbor determined to smother some 
colonies of bees to get rid of them and to get their honey. With moist 
blue clay he hermetically sealed the hives, and left them for 48 hours, 
when he concluded the bees must be dead; but when the hives were 
opened, to his surprise and chagrin, they were not only alive, but showed 
no signs of any ill effects, whatever. This was early in the month of 
September. 

I might occupy pages- with just such instances, going to show that 
bees, when in a state of quietude, or repose, use almost no air at all. 

I present these extreme views regarding ventilation, because I think 
they are correct, and that future experience will so prove them; but if 
your experience teaches you that I am mistaken, follow it, and go no 
farther with mine, than merely to experiment. 

MOISTURE. 

My last winter's report, above presented, again strikingly illustrates 
the fact that humidity is not harmful to bees, as many suppose. In all 
my varied experience and observation, I have been unable to discover 
any ill effects from dampness, of itself. From Prof. Cook's Bulletin, al- 
ready referred to, I quote the following: 

"It would seem that a damp atmosphere, which, as we all know, is fa- 
vorable to the growth and development of fungi, and inimical to health 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. Ill 

in higher animals, would be harmful to bees. It has been found, how- 
ever, that in many cases, even during the terribly disastrous winters like 
the past one, bees have wintered remarkably well in very damp cellars. 
Thus while we may presume that a very damp atmosphere is not the best, 
yet we may safely assert, other things being all favorable, that it of itself 
will not carry the seeds of mortality with it." 

CONFINEMENT. 

At one time a few bee-keepers were inclined to look upon confine- 
ment as the prime cause of bee diarrhoea. We have ample evidence that 
such cannot be true. While it is a fact that frequent flights afford op- 
portunity for our bees to discharge any intestinal accumulations that 
may have taken place, yet it is a demonstrated fact that confinement 
need not necessarily result in an accumulation of feces. I believe it is 
possible to keep bees confined for one year or more, and keep them in 
perfect health. While in the quiescent state, time has little tendency to 
exhaust their vitality. Practically, the age of a bee depends upon the 
amount of exertion ft has undergone. I have no doubt but that I could 
have safely kept the 73 colonies, before referred to, in the cellar, twoi 
three, or more months longer. 

In an article by Mr. Hilas D. Davis, entitled -'The Wintering Prob- 
lem Solved," published on page 234 of the American Bee Journal for 
1885, we find the following paragraph: 

"On Nov. 15, 1882, I put into the cellar a number of colonies of bees, 
in old hives with movable frames, which were fed on sugar syrup. By 
some mistake one colony was left in the cellar until June 29, 1883, when I 
was informed that there were bees in the cellar; and upon examination 
I was astonished to find the colony in a perfectly healthy condition, live- 
ly, and no traces of diarrhoea, which was remarkable, as the colony, which 
was a small one, had been confined about 224 days, and was removed from 
the cellar when my other bees were nearly done swarming. It was 
amusing to see what a grand flight they had after their long winter's re- 
pose." 

Some of our bee-keepers believe that if our colonies do not breed late 
in autumn, but go into winter quarters with older bees, their chances to 
winter well are thereby lessened; that they are thus more liable to "Spring 
Dwindle." Such has not been my experience. Older bees seem more 
inclined to seek the desired state of repose. Mr. A. E. Manum, of Bris- 
tol, Vermont, who keeps nearly 1,000 colonies, and is very successful in 
wintering, writes me that he prefers to have no bees hatched later than 
September. 

Bees do not grow old with time, but from exertion. Colonies that 
have not bred late have not exerted themselves like those that have. The 
rearing of y(Amg bees is always at the expense of the vitality of the older 
ones. In the quiescent state scarcely any of their vitality is lost. No 
matter if the youngest bee in the hive was hatched September 1st, be- 
cause none were hatched later, she has preserved her vitality, hence her 
age, and if she passes the winter in quiescence, she will last until her hive 
is populous. Bees preserve their vitality (age) wonderfully during au- 
tumn, when conditions are such as to discourage breeding. The converse 
of this proposition is equally true. 



112 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

HIBERNATION. 

Do bees hibernate? My esteemed friend, Rev. W. F. Clarke, of 
Guelph, Ontario, who has long been interested in apiculture, and once 
owned and edited the American Bee Journal, surprised our fraternity by 
presenting in his' ever clear and forcible style, what is known as ''The 
Hibernation Theory-" 

We at first understood him to believe that our honey bees mi^ht, and 
did, when wintering successfully, enter that dormant state in which we 
find wasps and some other insects, and of course a lively controversy 
arose. By consulting "Chambers" regarding the true definition of the 
word, we find that the state of repose which our honey bees enter, close- 
ly borders upon hibernation. Had we so understood the meaning of the 
term, there would have been little to discuss, as we have for years been 
familiar with that quiescent state which bees assume when wintering 
successfully. 

We do not, however, consider this quiescent, or semi-hibernating 
state, a cause, but an effect of successful wintering and its conditions. 
That bees can pass the winter in confinement, and in a state of activity, 
and build up to good colonies by the following summer, I have had posi- 
tive proof; but such conditions do not denote perfect wintering, in my 
experience. 

Whatever induces quiesence, also causes successful wintering, for 
bees in a diseased and distressed condition, will not remain quiet. 

If you step out into our apiary at the approach of freezing weather 
and lift the cover from a hive, you will notice that the bees are snugly 
clustered, lying perfectly motionless. As you raise the cover, they re- 
spond by raising their abdomens and wings, but at once recline to their 
normal position, and should you immediately replace the cover, excluding 
the light and cooler air, this quiescence will continue. It is a condition 
induced by a certain temperature, and when that temperature changes, 
going either higher or lower, to a sufficient degree, just as soon as its in- 
fluence is felt by the bees, they arouse to activity. If the change is to a 
sufficiently higher degree, they at once propose to go out, look around, 
and see if any useful employment can be found. If, on the other hand, 
the temperature falls below a certain point, the bees becoming uncom- 
fortably cool, at once arouse and begin raising the temperature by exer- 
cising. This exertion calls for larger quantities of food, and if their food 
is not free from improper substances, such excessive consumption will 
soon overload the intestines with fecal matter, resulting in bee diarrhoea. 

While it is evident that cold plays a very important part in causing 
this disease, yet we know there is still another cause, because we have 
many times witnessed perfect health in one colony, and disease in an- 
other, though sitting side by side in the same kind of hives, with like 
preparations and in the same repository. Where can the difference be, 
except in the food? 

As already stated, I am quite positive that there is where it is to be 
found, and I believe that the difference in food, regarding its wintering 
qualities, depends upon the amount of nitrogen it contains. I believe 
that some kinds of honey, in certain seasons, contain much more nitro- 
gen (in the form of floating pollen) than others, or the same in other sea- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 113 

sons; and I believe this accounts, in part, for the different results we ob- 
tain when all conditions are apparently equal. It also accounts for the 
fact that pure cane sugar syrup (which contains no nitrogen and more 
oxygen than honey) has proven the best of all winter food for bees. But 
this is not all. 

I am quite confident that when bees are exercising during their sum- 
mer work, or in winter, to keep up temperature, such exercise calls for 
nitrogenous food, and they instinctively consume it, if within reach. ]*y 
careful examination 1 have found that in cases where I fed sugar syrup 
in dry, clean combs, and left these colonies exposed to severe cold, that 
in every case where there was just a cell of bee-bread here and there, 
which was overlooked or trusted with the bees, they have emptied every 
one within their reach. 

. Bee-bread is replete with nitrogen, the tissue-making food; is mainly 
of pollen, and diarrhcetic excreta is composed of the same. Whether this 
pollen theory be correct or not, my experience bears much testimony in 
its favor, and I know of no other theory fully accounting for our winter 
losses, or I might say, bee diarrhoea, which will cover all the facts, as 
they have been presented to me. Certain it is that it is correct, or else 
the whole problem rests alone upon temperature, and in either case the 
directions given for always wintering safely, will insure that result. 

But are. all of those conditions necessary ? I think not. I believe 
that in most seasons our bees gather honey sufficiently clear to winter 
upon it successfully, especially if the temperature is kept at that point 
which necessitates only a minimum consumption of it. 1 also believe 
that bees will not consume bee-bread during confinement, if the temper- 
ature is kept at a point that necessitates no activity on their part. 

In this connection, Prof. Cook writes as follows, in the bulletin be- 
fore referred to: 

"If the cellar become too cold or too hot, in either case the bees be- 
come disturbed, and then I feel certain after many experiments that the 
bees are safer with no pollen." 

They must have bee-bread to form into chime, if they rear young, 
whether in confinement or otherwise, but this kind of bee-bread con- 
sumption does not result in fecal accumulations. I will again quote from 
Prof. Cook. He says: 

"The fecal mass is mostly in the intestines; sometimes it is so abun- 
dant as also to crowd the true stomach. It is not likely that the aliment- 
ary canal back of the honey stomach, and true stomach, are ever used to 
form the larval food; I think not, back of the sucking or honey stomach. 
If the pollen is used up for larval bee-food, it could not appear in the 
feces." 

This accords with the facts connected with our experience. There 
are a few of our bee-keepers, some of whom are careful observers, who 
believe in what is known as 

THE DRY-FECES THEORY, 

which contemplates that bees, in healthy condition, with temperature, 
humidity and ventilation, all favorable, from time to time as necessity 
requires, discharge fecal accumulations in a dry state, and that pollen is 



114 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

a normal, wholesome food for bees during confinement, and is not within 
itself, a cause of bee diarrhoea, even when so consumed, because these 
frequent dry discharges prevent any excessive accumulations. Prof. 
Cook thinks — and my observations accord with his opinions — that bees 
never normally void in their hives feces that is either wet or dry. He 
says, that although he has made repeated examinations, he could never 
find dry feces in a bee. 

- On several occasions I have seen bees voiding (always outside of their 
hives) feces that was solid enough to remain in a round and elongated 
form, until it would dry in the sun; but these bees were always more or 
less diseased, though not always irrecoverably so. The colonies that I 
told you had nothing but pure syrup, although exposed to such a low 
temperature came out in spring, after a confinement of 151 days, in per- 
fect health. Their bodies were apparently no larger than when placed 
in the cellar the previous autumn; on their first flight they contained 
nothing to void. Not a speck of anything could be found on the white 
hives. By carefully observing them in range with the sunlight, nothing, 
not even water, could be seen passing from them. As further evidence 
that physical exertion causes bees to consume pollen, and that polleu is 
what forms fecal accumulations, I will call attention to the fact that dur- 
ing the working season, when in harmony with this theory, bees are daily 
consuming larger quantities of it, if we confine them for only a short 
time, abdominal distention with fecal matter, always ensues. 

We have now set forth many of our reasons for believing in the pol- 
len theory, at the same time endeavoring to make it clear to the reader 
that whether or not we are correct regarding that belief, either in de- 
tail or the general principles of the theory, we still as firmly believe 
that we can winter any normal colony of bees, with as great certainty, 
as our horse or cow; for if that theory proves erroneous, then as already 
stated, I believe the problem hinges entirely upon temperature. 

I will now endeavor to outline our chosen methods of complying with 
the laws governing success, as we believe in them and have so set forth 
in the foregoing. Out-door wintering can certainly boast of but two ad- 
vantages; first, that it may, in favorable seasons in this latitude, allow 
the bees frequent flights, and second, that it saves the labor of carrying 
the colonies in and out of repositories. I think that I have shown that 
after we have secured the conditions of safe wintering, safe in all win- 
ters, no winter flights are needed, and could only effect injury to the 
bees, by exhausting just so much more of their vitality. 

Again, if our colonies are to be left on their summer stands, we must 
go far south of here, before it is safe to so leave them, without extra pro- 
tection, and this necessitates far more labor than that of carrying them 
in and out of the cellar. It is urged that a cellar or above-ground reposi- 
tory, costs more than packing boxes, for outside protection. This is 
more than offset by the value of the room for other uses in summer. 
Such room is just what we need. It is also argued that outside packing 
is very useful during spring, after all bees are on their summer stands; 
that it serves to prevent 

" SPRING-DWINDLITSTG. " 

I am confident that such dwindling is always a result of imperfect 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 115 

wintering, for I have never seen or heard of a case, when the bees had 
passed the period of confinement, in a healthy condition. I believe that 
bees that spring dwindle, had the diarrhoea, though in many cases the 
fecal accumulations were not great enough to cause evacuations in or 
about the hive; the same taking place away in the air. 

The intestines are diseased, however, thus lessening the vitality of the 
bees to such an extent that they cannot survive long enough to duplicate 
their numbers with young bees, unless the weather is most favorable. 
In this locality, all healthy colonies, will, after being placed upon their 
summer stands, not only protect the brood they may have when set out, 
but also take care of all that develops from day to day, as fast as we care 
to have breeding progress. 

(With wholesome food, and proper temperature, it is neither necessa- 
ry nor advisable to remove our colonies from their repositories, where in 
the quiescent state they rest unconscious of the swift winged flight of 
time, till the struggles of winter giving place to spring, are past and 
flowers in bloom, affording fresh pollen and perhaps nectar, for the 
workers. 

If we lived in a locality where this was not the case, we should in 
spring, pack the top of our New Hive (the bottom of which is protected 
by the bottom-stand), and as it is so very shallow it would be nearly all 
protected. We would simply remove the cover, put on the honey board, 
spread a paper over this, place an empty case on top of all, fill it with 
saw-dust, replace the cover and the w r ork is done. Paper and saw-dust 
are all the extras needed. 

The evenness and height of temperature upon which that vitality- 
saving, quiet condition depends, cannot be maintained out-doors. I 
never saw a colony of bees that had wintered perfectly out-of-doors. I have 
wintered 500 colonies out, and saved nearly all and all came up in good 
condition for the honey harvest. This is not perfection however, but 
may be some ways from it, and toward diarrhoea and death. 

( When a colony enters the quiescent state at the approach of cold 
weather and remains in that condition without intermption till the flow- 
ers bloom again, consuming a minimum of food, presenting abdomens no 
larger than when conflnement began, discharging no feces on first flight, 
tben they have wintered perfectly; but this cannot be accomplished out- 
doors, nor anywhere, unless the food is perfect; in my opinion, free from 
nitrogen — pollen 

( My numerous experiments in out-door wintering, have led me to pre- 
fer a plan that may properly be called a combination of the clamp and 
packing systems. 

We place our hives in a row about four inches apart, all fronting 
south, eight of them constituting a clamp. The front ends are about 
four inches from the ground, the back ends about seven inches, all on the 
same level. Out of some old refuse lumber, we rip some pieces two 
feet long and four inches wide; point these pieces at one end and drive 
them into the ground between the hives at their fronts, nearly on a level 
with the tops of the hives; get a board 18 inches wide and 12 feet long; 
place it on the hive edgewise, its lower edge resting just back of the 
stakes; select another board the same length, and 24 inches wide, placing 



116 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

it edgewise upon the ground six inches back of the hack ends of the hives. 
You can now take shade-boards, or other short pieces, and nail across the 
ends of these boards from their top to bottom edges, when you will 
have your eight hives so surrounded with walls that you can pack dry 
sawdust, chaff, forest leaves or other suitable -non-conducting material 
about eight or ten inches thick at the outside of the outside hives, six in- 
ches thick behind, and five to ten inches thick over their tops. Now we 
lay two tiers of shade-boards, breaking joints with each other, on the top 
for a roof, and as the front is several inches higher than the back, the 
backward pitch will carry off the water. We also wedge the packing be- 
tween the hives, and the stakes at their front ends hold it from running 
out in front. These boards may be whole, or narrow ones cleated togeth- 
er. As we use shade-boards for ends and roof, these flat boards are our 
only additional fixtures. 

The tops can be packed as we prefer; either above the board covers, 
as glued fast by the bees, or upon the absorbant plan with covers remov- 
ed and clothes laid over in their place. Now your eight hives are well 
packed except their fronts, which we protect as follows: We take shade 
boards, or we may take one continuous board, twelve feet long, and fif- 
teen or eighteen inches wide, and lean it up against the hives and over 
their entrances at an angle of about forty-five degrees. This leaves a tri- 
angular opening all along in front of their entrances, which we stop up 
at each end with hay or straw. We now pile hay or straw all over this 
leaning front board and well out at the ends, reaching up as high as the 
top of the clamp, and about two feet out in front of the leaning board. 
As soon as it snows, and covers up the hay or straw, the fronts of your 
hives are also well protected. 

But this is not all; the air furnished the hives must come in slowly, 
becoming more or less tempered by the earth and warmth of the clamp. 
Much as with cellar wintering, the air which enters the entrances of the 
hives, is also protected. It matters not how deep may be the snow, nor 
how much covered with ice, the ventilation is always ample. In locations 
where but little snow may be expected, I would advise making up the de- 
ficiency with greater quantities of the hay or straw. 

These clamps should be formed some little time before the bees cease 
flying. We bring our colonies together in autumn, again spreading them 
apart in spring, causing them always to mark their new location by the 
precautions given on page 29. The front boards and hay should not be 
adjusted until you do not care to have your bees fly any longer. If, dur- 
ing the winter, favorable weather occurs, and you wish your bees to fly, 
pull forward your hay and front board, when the sun will immediately 
warm up the front ends of your hives and entrances, the front board and 
hay serving as an alighting place for bees that may drop down. This is 
our favorite out-door method of protection; still I prefer in-door winter- 
ing, and a cellar to all other repositories. 

The question now arises, how shall we arrange our hives in the cel- 
lar? This problem is one that I am arrangi-ig to experiment with during 
the coming winter. I think it matters but little. Certain it is, that an 
even temperature within our hives, is preferable. The more non-con- 
ducting are they and their arrangement, the better they are for the main- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTUKE. 117 



tainance of that even temperature. Also for a higher degree; conse- 
quently, I favor leaving the covers tight upon the hives, as sealed by the 
bees, pitching them forward, and leaving the entrance wide open. 
For our New Hives we have constructed a two inch rim, that we place 
under each one, thus supplying that space between the bottoms of the 
frames and bottom-board. Of what value this may prove, only experi- 
ence can decide. It is not a new device, and while many speak in its fa- 
vor, none object to it. It certainly will not produce nor prevent bee di- 
arrhoea, but yet may be worthy of our adoption with this style of hive. 

I shall pile my hives in tiers, one upon another (the strongest 
colonies at the bottom), as high as I can reach, placing the first 
tier upon the bottom of the cellar, and expect as perfect success 
with one tier as another, for such was my last winter's experi- 
ence. We have before spoken of Eepository Ventilation, and Moisture. 
For our coming winter's experiments our colonies will contain stores of 
all kitids of honey, and of pure cane sugar syrup. We feed the syrup 
from the large feeder described on pages 56 and 66. We prepare it as 
follows: 

Into a boiling-pan put three pounds of water, heating it until it boils, 
and with a wooden paddle stir this boiling water as you sift into it ten 
pounds of granulated sugar. When it is all dissolved, and the syrup is 
boiling, pour in one-half tea-cupful of water, in which has previously 
been dissolved a level tea-spoonful of tartaric acid. Stir it a moment 
longer, and then remove it from the fire. The amount of water, acid and 
sugar mentioned in the above way of preparing the syrup, is given mere- 
ly as a proportion. I boil half a barrel of sugar at one time, on a com- 
mon cook-stove, in a flat copper boiler made for the purpose, and which 
covers the entire top of the stove. Feed the syrup while warm (not hot), 
if convenient. 

It will not crystallize if the acid is used in the proportion 
mentioned, is of full strength, and the syrup boiled as directed. It 
is at once, when cool, of the consistency of well-ripened honey, and 
as the bees receive, store and seal it readily, I know of no reason why it 
is best to feed it thinner, and depend upon them to evaporate out a por- 
tion of the water. \ 

The best time to feed the syrup is at once— as soon as you are satis- 
fied that all gathering of natural stores is past. 

In the chapters on "Hives" we described our method of management, 
that brought our colonies out at the close of honey-gathering in a condi- 
tion to feed, without first having to extract honey from their combs. In 
this chapter F have, also mentioned exchanging empty combs for their full 
ones, and feeding syrup into them, in cases where the contraction system 
was not practiced. 

I do not like this plan nearly as well as the summer method of keep- 
ing natural stores out of the brood-chamber, as it increases labor and ex- 
posure to robbers. It also frequently necessitates feeding too late in the 
season. 

I think that when for any reason the bee-keeper desires to winter his 
bees upon natural stores, the method of selecting such stores, as given in 
the chapter on the New Hive, is a very good one to practice. 



118 SUCCESS JN BEE-CULTUBE. 

Some twelve years ago we used bows over the frames, to admit of 
winter passage-ways for the bees, but were never positive that they were 
of any value. Neither am I sure that absorbants over our bees in winter 
are advantageous. Drs. Southard & Eanney of Kalamazoo, Mich., who 
are very successful in out-door wintering, practice packing chaff over 
their board covers glued tightly by the bees. They also give very little 
lower ventilation. During the past severe winter of 1884-5, they carried 
their large apiary through with almost no loss. 

All of our colonies in the New Hives are now in our bee-cellar, each 
in one case. About one-half of the hives have the narrow rims under 
them, and one-half are without them. All are wintering perfectly. It 
is a pleasure to carry these light, fixed-frame hives into the cellar. 

This chapter, like the book in general, is written from the stand- 
point of my own latitude and experience, and while I disclaim a perfect 
understanding of the problem, I do believe we have practically mas- 
tered it. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 
Adopting- Apiculture. 

When one has decided to adopt bee-keeping as a business, the ques- 
tion may then well be asked, "how shall I commence?" I will give you 
my opinions regarding the subject — opinions based on experience. 

In these remarks I shall suppose that the sole purpose of adopting 
our pursuit, is that of making money at a reasonably agreeable calling. 
For all other classes I have nothing to say. But now let me consider the 
best way to get properly started in the business. With this, like all other 
pursuits, the very first acquisition needed is a knowledge of its laws and 
principles. With this knowledge you will know how to choose a good 
field. You will know enough to choose one that is unoccupied, and that 
you can likely hold sole possession of. Besides these basic principles, 
you will have an understanding of the detail manipulation of the apiary. 

Now, in my judgment, the best way to get possession of this 
knowledge, which is absolutely necessary to success, is to do just as you 
would if you were going to practice law, ship building, rearing silk 
worms or speckled trout, viz: Engage yourself with some experienced 
and successful man of the same calling, and with him and his fixtures 
study the business both in theory and practice. You will get your theo- 
ry from the best literature upon the subject, and social converse with 
your employer. This will increase your talent. YTou will get your prac- 
tical knowledge, made up of thousands of methods, styles and move- 
ments, by working at the business and among his fixtures. That knowl- 
edge will increase your tact. Now, the reason why I suggested the sue- 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 119 

cessful man only, is because this tact is usually found in company with 
success — in fact it is a parent of success, and is to a considerable de- 
gree catching, and the ways and means adopted by the man of tact, are 
authors of success. 

During this apprenticeship you must mingle your thought with your 
labor in a proper degree, for in this business you are as much a student 
as an apprentice. After you have spent one or two seasons (according to 
your aptitude) in this way, you are competent to start in the business, 
with a capital that will support you and yours, and command your best 
mental and physical efforts, for most of the year. If you have not the 
capital, you are fitted to command wages in advance of the common la- 
borer, and if acquaintance has inspired your employer with full faith in 
your integrity, you can likely get all the capital you need, to accompany 
your strength and skill. Many offer bees for side, but I want to tell you 
that if I could get competent, honest men to work for me, at wages hint- 
ed at above, or work an apiary on shares, I could make more by not sell- 
ing a bee, but placing my surplus stocks in another unoccupied field, with 
this employe to handle them. 

I give it as my solemn conviction, that no man should ever attempt 
this business that has failed in all others i>i which he has been engaged. 
That bees' do not "work for nothing and board themselves;" that "small 
children" and "invalids" are not eminently adapted to honey production. 
Experience has taught me that if there is any business in this world that 
demands industry, skill and tact, to insure success, it is this of ours. By 
attending conventions, visiting bee-keepers, and entertaining many who 
visit me, I have learned that successful apiarists, as a class, are more 
than ordinarily wide awake and intelligent. 

The beginner almost invariably wants to know how many pounds of 
surplus honey he may expect from a hive, in a good season. "Why don't 
he ask how many pounds in a bad one? Keally. why don't he say how 
much is honey worth on the markets of the world? Is it likely to hold 
up to that figure? How much do you think it costs to produce honey per 
ton? Do you know of any good, unoccupied fields? About how many- 
pounds of surplus do you think such a field would yield annually, on an 
average? What would be the best number of colonies to keep to secure 
it? and a whole lot of such questions as these. 

Now, honor bright, would not these questions be more likely to be cor- 
rectly answered by some experienced producer than any one else? If I 
should hear a young man asking questions like these, 1 would feel sure 
that he had served at least a year with some experienced apiarist, and not 
in vain, either'. 

I believe that no business is less adapted to becoming a side issue or 
adjunct to some other, than this of ours. On the other hand, I think it 
will become a specialty with the successful ones, and these men will be 
men of energy, intelligence and tact. 

The days of dabbling along with two or four colonies; picking up bee 
wisdom; throwing away one and making another style of hive every year, 
are nearly over. 

Seventeen years ago I began bee-keeping in this way. The produc- 
tion of honey has increased many fold since that time, and the profits of 



120 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

the same have greatly decreased. Had they been no greater then than 
now, I think my attempts at apiculture would have proven a failure. I 
am positive that had I then apprenticed myself to some such successful 
apiarist as Adam Grimm, whom it is said cleared $10,000 in one year, 
from his large apiaries, I would, ere this, have no further need for bees, 
nor their product. 

For years past our state agricultural college has had, attached to the 
general course, an experimental apiary, conducted by Prof. A. J. Cook, 
our state professor of entomology; a gentleman whom, I believe, stands 
at the head of his profession, and is very enthusiastic, regarding this part 
of it— the honey bee. While this school offers a fine opportunity for cer- 
tain kinds of experiments, as well as thoroughly learning the physiology 
and character of bees, I cannot conceive that it offers as great advantages 
for at once learning how to produce honey at a profit, as does the large, 
practical apiary. It might be well, for those who are able, to take two 
courses in the study of our pursuit; first, at the Agricultural College and 
then in the apiary; but if, for any reason, only one course can be taken, 
T must say that I consider the practical apiary course not only first choice, 
but almost a necessity. For four or five years past, Mr. D. A. Jones, of 
Canada, and myself, have received from many times the number of ap- 
plications, a limited number of 

STUDENT- APPRENTICES , 

and this experience has the better qualified me to judge of its benefits. 
We are, however, not alone in our ideas of the immense advantages of 
such a course. The constant solicitations received for skillful help in the 
apiary, and that, too, from our most successful apiarists, argues plainly 
that these men are of the same opinion. Neither are these opinions con- 
fined to our own land; for I have repeatedly had applications for my stu- 
dents from foreign countries. Very few of these calls could be satisfac- 
torily answered, for whatever may be the student's idea, when soliciting 
a situation in the apiary, he is sure to embark in the business for himself 
if by any possibility he can command the necessary capital, 

This is not the only evidence of the favorable opinions of our most 
successful bee-keepers. I will quote from four of our noted producers 
and writers. Mr. W. Z. Hutchinson says: 

"If a man wishes to engage in bee-keeping as a specialty, and make 
money out of* it, he cannot do better than to take a season's instruction 
with a practical apiarist in a practical working apiary." 

Dr. C. C. Miller of Illinois says that "whoever purposes to make bee- 
keeping a business, may save himself years of discomfiture and failure, 
by spending a season in the apiary, as an apprentice." 

Mr. E. J. Oatman of the same state, also a large and most successful 
honey producer, says: "I would rather, by far, employ a man after such 
a season's schooling, than take him after his futile efforts of five years of 
independent experiment." 

Eev. W. F. Clarke, before referred to, a man to whom nature and 
years have given a keen insight into the affairs of life, says that he 
"should like to have just such a chance to learn the business, and should 
try to get it, were he not parson, and editor as to life-work." 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 121 

While I can most heartily recommend a season spent in the practical 
working apiary, with a successful honey producer and competent teacher, 
as being the best and cheapest way to become a successful apiarist, I am 
far from urging any person to enter our already well filled ranks. 

Could I accomplish the aim of this little work, viz: lend material 
aid to those now in the business, both in multiplying their colonies by 
successfully wintering, and increasing their honey crop by way of im- 
proved implements and methods, it is my opinion that there would soon 
be produced all the honey that consumers will pay for at a price making 
its production worthy of our attention. Before concluding, I will repeat, 
that I am firmly convinced that only the energetic, faithful, and intelli- 
gent, will be apt to succeed as honey producers. 

If you possess these qualifications and thoroughly learn the business, 
these important truths will be your warranty of success, ifou will have 
but a limited number of mankind as competitors, and these will be men 
who are not willing and do not need to devote their mental and physica 1 
energy to that which yields a precarious income. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 
Books and Periodicals. 

As a factor in the development and progress of the world's indus- 
tries, the books and periodicals devoted thereto have, in modern times 
played an important part. I know of no industry, however humble, that 
has not a special literature of its own devoted to the advancement of the 
financial interest of those therein engaged. In the light of the accumu- 
lated experience and practical knowledge of those engaged in any busi- 
ness, substantial and steady progress is made. Our own chosen pursuit 
is no exception to this rule, but is rather a striking confirmation of it, for 
the almost wonderful advance in apicultural science during the past two 
decades, is largely due to the interchange of thought and experiment 
through the medium of our bee-periodicals. 

At the head of our apistical literature, both in point of age of publi- 
cation and manure practical thought, stands the "American Bee-Journal, ' , 
as bright and fresh and newsy as w T hen the master hand of Samuel Wag- 
ner was at the editorial helm. In tracing the career of this Journal back 
to its birth in 1860, 1 find that it has been an earnest advocate of the 
right, and has ever striven for the best interest of its patrons. No child- 
ish prattle or selfish hurrah-boy enthusiasm, seeking to augment the 
already crowded ranks of a pursuit with a class of people whose embar- 
kation therein meant failure and financial ruin to themselves and embar- 
rassment to those already embarked, has marked its course. A remit- 
tance of $1.00 to Thos. G. Newman & Son, 925 West Madison St., Chicago. 



122 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

111., will secure its weekly visits for one year, and I know of no invest- 
ment in bee-literature that will pay such satisfactory dividends to the 
intelligent apiarist. 

"Gleanings in Bee-Culture," is published semi-monthly at Medina, 
Ohio, by A. I. Boot; price $1.00 per year. Although younger in years 
than the American Bee-Journal (just mentioned) Gleanings is a valuable 
addition to our periodicals, and well worth its subscription price. 

The "Bee-Keepers' Magazine," by Aspinwall & Treadwell, 16 Thom- 
as St., N. Y. — is a regular visitor, and I should not like to dispense with 
it. Monthly, at % 1.00 per year. 

There are several other American publications of more or less note 
and vitality, which do not reach me, hence I have no knowledge of then- 
special claims to public patronage. 

Just over the line, in the "Queen's Dominions," D. A. Jones, of Bee- 
ton, Ontario, has started the weekly "Canadian Bee-Journal," at $1.00 
per year, which gives promise of usefulness to its readers. 

BOOKS. 

"The Hive and Honey Bee," by Father Langstroth, and the "Mys- 
teries of Bee-Keeping." by Father M. Quimby, were the pioneer works, 
from which modern apiculture has sprung. To the labors of these two 
veteran apiarists, are we all indebted for the inception of scientific meth- 
ods and devices, which have placed our pursuit upon a substantial, prac- 
tical basis, immeasurably in advance of the empiricism of the past. No 
practical system had been formulated by their predecessors; definite re- 
sults were unknown. 

In more recent years, the accumulated results attained by the frater- 
nity have been preserved for us in such admirable books as Prof. A. J. 
Cook's "Manual of the Apiary," Mr. Thos. G. Newman's "Bees and Hon- 
ey," King's "Bee-Keeper's Text Book," Mr. A. I. Root's "A, B, C, of 
Bee-Culture," Mr. L. C Root's "Quimby's New Bee-Keeping," Chas. Da- 
dant's little pamphlet upon "Extracted Honey," Mr. Henry Alley's 
"Handy Book," particularly devoted to queen rearing, etc. 




isr 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 12H 



Odds and Ends. 



[Under this head, I have grouped a few facts, either not mentioned 
elsewhere in these pages, or which seem to be deserving of the emphasis 
of repetition.] 



It hath been said by him of olden time, "keep your stocks strong;" but 
I say unto you, "don't let your colonies remain queenless." 



A friend asks me: "Have you ever mixed bees from different queens, 
wfth a view of increasing their vigor and energy as honey gatherers? If 
not, try exchanging frames of hatching brood, and note the result. 1 ' 



There is a vast difference in the quality of the tinned wire, used in 
wiring foundation in brood frames; that which is soft and pliable being 
much better than the hard, brittle "variety. 1 ' 



Have you ever, in your visions of the "sweet bye and bye," caught 
glimpses of that elysian "field" where the industrious gatherer of propolis 
shall find his "occupation gone," and the "wicked (bee) cease from troub- 
ling':"' If so, just lubricate all hive bearings with tallow, rubbing it well 
into the wood, and enjoy the luxury of removing covers, supers, honey 
cases, etc., in the "twinkling of an eye," without a snap, jar or bee-pro- 
test. 



It is good policy to keep hives well painted. The mineral paints, 
with the addition of a little white lead, make the cheapest and most dur- 
able coating for hives, of which we have any knowledge. 



The term, "bee-space," does not only denote a space at will admit 
of the passage of a bee, but it refers to that space in which bees are least 
inclined to build brace-combs or place propolis, or bee-glue; which is a 
scant I of an inch. 



The wire embedder, illustrated on page 63, is the invention of C. M. 
Ruland, Rockton, 111. 



124 SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 

The business of honey producing has never received the respect that 
it merits, neither from our government nor many of her individual mem- 
bers. While we are glad to be able to say that we are each year receiv- 
ing more and more of the respect and attention we have long deserved; 
still we are at all times liable to unjust encroachments upon our indus- 
try; because, until quite recently, bee-keeping has not been a business of 
any importance. To protect ourselves against these unjust legal attacks, 
we have formed a Bee-Keepers 1 Union which, it seems to me, all friends 
of the pursuit should join. For particulars, address Trios. G. Newman, 
Manager, 925, W. Madison St., Chicago. 



If judgment be used in selecting material and manufacturing hives, 
very excellent ones can be made out of second or third class lumber. It 
is not Wise, and I believe not common, to use first class boards in the 
manufacture of first class hives. The same is true regarding the work- 
manship; while it should be good, all pieces being smooth and accurately 
cut, it is bad economy to spend the time required to smooth and polish a 
hive until it resembles cabinet work. 



I wish to impress the reader's mind with the following sentiments, 
which I feel positive are truths: 

First, beyond the matter of food, the problem of safely wintering 
bees rests almost wholly with temperature. Second, bees winter as safe- 
ly upon shallow as upon deep combs. Third, they build combs and All 
them with honey as readily and speedily in our smallest surplus recepta- 
cles, as in our largest ones. 



I think we may correctly say that a honey field, or apiarian area, is 
one ordinarily nearly circular, having a diameter of nearly six miles; the 
apiary located at its center. 1 think we may call an area occupied when 
it contains a bee-keeper w r ho keeps, or intends to keep within it, one- 
hundred or more colonies. I feel that I cannot too strongly urge you not 
to attempt bee-keeping within an already occupied area. 




^ 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



125 



GENERAL INDEX 



PAGE 

Apiculture, little connection 

with farming 9 

better for blacksmith 9 

adopting 118 

how to adopt 118, 119, 120 

who should adopt 119, 120 

American Bee-Journal 13, 16 

price reduced 122 

Alley, Henry 23 

After swarms, prevention of. .23, 24 

Acid in winter stores 35 

to prevent crystalization 36 

Artificial pasturage 43 

when it pays 42 

what plants pay best 43, 44 



smoker, fuel for 53, 57. 58 

best size of • • 53 

Bingham's the best 53 

cut of 57 

veil (see protectors) 

tent 55 

conveniences of 56 

size and construction of 56 

objections to 56 

Bee-space, its great value 78, 79 

what is it? 123 

Father Langstroth's inven- 
tion 78. 79 

Bee-diarrhoea 107. 108 

Bee-keeper's Magazine 122 

'•Bees and Honey' 1 122 

"Bee keeper's Text Book" 122 



Adulteration 

different opinions on 46 Bees mixed from various hives. . 123 

Adulterate, bee keepers do not. . 46 Books and periodicals 121 

it does not pav to 46 Boomhower, Mr 109 

Apiarian supply-trade 49 Bingham T. F 52, 81 

what stimulated the 50, 51 Birds as enemies 38 

requires tact, energy and per- Breeding, how stimulated 35 

severence to be successful „ 

l n 50 Capping combs 14 

Apiarian ' implements." .' '. '. '. '. '.'.'.. .' 52 Cyprian bees 12, 13, 15 

who should make 49 Carniolan bees. 12 13 15 

who should buy 49 Cook, Prof A. J., 4, 109, 110, 113, 120 

illy constructed 49 ^ , , . . , 

by freight 51, 52 Crates (see shipping crates). . . .49, 71 

by express.' '. '. '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. ."si! 52 „ c } x \ of • ■ ■■ • 71 

Comb-foundation 



Apiarian supplies 

how to order 50, 51 

A B of Bee Culture .\ . 122 

Aspinwall and Tread well 122 

Bee-keeping, as a business 7 

can.be made a success 7 

in a small way 8 

as a specialty. . ._ 

as related to mechanics 8 

for women 10 

Bees, age of worker 12 

varieties of 12, 13, 14 

crossing the races 14, 15 

value of . . ., 16 

on shares 16, 17 

subduing 17 

careless handling of 18 

scared bv ^moke 18 

size of.." 22, 23 

how to make them mark new 

locations 29 

Bee enemies 38 

diseases ; 38 

paralysis 38 

moths 38, 40 

smoker 52 



..54,60,61,62, 63 

prefer Given 61 

great advantages of 54, 62 

weight of 54 

how fastened. .. .54, 61, 62. 63. 67 

Contracting L. hive 82, 83. 103 

advantages of 82, 83 

illustrated 83 

dummies for 82, 83 

Colonies, strong 123 

how kept strong 84, 85 

Confinement Ill 

Clarke, Kev. W.F 112, 120 

Canadian Bee- Journal 122 

Division of labor. 8 

Drone cells 11 

Drones, time required to devel- 

ope 11 

their use 11 

age of 12 

selection of 26 

Dzierzon. , 39 

Dadant, Chas. & Son 60, 102 

Dadant's "Extracted Honey". . . 122 

Doolittle, G. M 81, 83, 84 

Davis, Hilas D Ill 



126 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



Dry foeces theory 113, 114 

Extractor, honey 7, 53 

many styles of -53 

prefer upright gearing for. . . 59 

for the special list. . . . 59 

excelsior 59 

for new hive 104 

prefer large can 60 

wax, cut of 70 



False inducements 

Fertile workers, when they ap- 
pear 

look like others 

how they lay in the cells 

prove a great annoyance 

how to get rid of 33, 

Feeding 

to promote breeding 

for winter stores 

sugar syrup 

honey to finish sections. . . 35, 

stimulative 

Feeders 56, 57, 

old style, cut of 

new style, cut of 

Foul blood 38, 39, 

Dzierzon's remedy 

fast spreading 

Italians less liable to 39, 

how developed 

how cured 39, 

Fountain pump a necessity 20, 

Whitman's ". 55, 

for hiving swarms 

will last a lifetime 

illustrated 

perfectly made 

for washing windows 

cleaning buggies 

for lawns and gardens 



for extinguishing fires. 



10 

33 
33 

33 

33 i 

34 

341 

34 1 

34| 

35 

36 

35| 

66 

66 

66 

40 

39 

40 

40 

10 

40 

55 

70 

55 

55 

70 

70 

71 

71 

71 

71 



German bees 12, 13, 14, 15, 21. 28 

Given press illustrated. 61 

makes best foundation 60, 61 

Gleanings in Bee Culture 122 

Honey, early price of 7 

raising for one's own use 7 

comb or extracted, which 

pays best 44, 45 

as a sauce 47 

in quantity 47 

keep local demand supplied 

with 47 

ripe 45 

extracted 45 

comb 45, 48, 49 

styles of packages for 48, 49 

Honey-knife, Bingham's 53, 68 

cut of 68 



patented 68 

Hive, improved Langstroth 77 

cut of 77 

bottom stand for 77 

honey board for 77 

readily movable 81 

small brood chamber prefer- 
able 81 

contraction of (see contrac- 
tion) 

our new illustrated 89 

brood chamber of horizontal 

sections 89, 90 

frames for 90 

reversible 90, 99 

surplus cases for 91, 93 

case illustrated 91 

honey-board 91, 93 

bottom board illustrated 92 

bottom stand for, illustrated 92 

size of parts 90, 91, 92, 93 

wide frames for, cut of 93 

description of 93, 94 

surplus cases for, reversible 93 

how contracted. 94, 98 

how enlarged 95 

Father Langstroth on shal- 
low 95 

for winter 95, 96 

to fit former case to 98 

general management of 99 

seldom need opening 1C0 

finding green in 100 

clipping queen cells in 100 

bees easily ha) idled in 101 

shade for.. 101 

for extracted honey 102, 103 

quickly manipulated 99, 103, 105 

for extra honey flow 104 

honey extractor for 104 

should be made from sample 

only 105 

must be made accurately 105 

patented 105 

tested by Hutchinson 106 

Honey board, cuts of 77 

description of 77, 78 

queen excluding 78 

new style illustrated 91 

new style reversible 91 

new style described . 93 

to control swarming 104 

"Handy Book," Alley's 122 

Hibernation 112 

Hybrid bees. : 13, 14, 15 

Hutchinson, W. Z., 24, 61, 78, 81, 99, 
106, 120 

Improvements 8 

Italian bees 13, 14, 15, 21 

Increase 19 

artificial 20 

plan No. 1 20, 21 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



127 



plan No. 2 20, 21 

prevention of 22, 23 

Italianizing 31 32 

Jones, D. A 120, 122 

Lamp nursury 28, 55 

keeps uniform temperature 27 
large uniform queens come 

from 27 

cut of 69 

Langstrotb, Father (of modern . 

apiculture) 42, 122 

hive and honey bee 42, 122 



Mixed husbandry 8 

Malonev, George 13 

My friend, 4, 19, 20, 21, 25. 26, 27, 31 Q ueer] - r ear 

33, 34, 36 37 47, 48, 50, 51, 52 fender sww 
53,54, 55, 56, 57 

Mellilot clover 43, 44 

Marketing in old times 47 

in modern 47, 48, 49 



best lor all 74. 75 

favored by Father Lang- 
strotb 75 

Pollen theory 107, 108, 109 

Propolis, how avoided 123 

Paint for hives 123 

Queen, fertile H 

cages, how made 55 

her capacity H 

eggs of, when they hatch . . . 

cells, position of 11 

at will 28 

how fertilized 11 

price of 10 

clipping wings of 25 

rearing,.. .25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 



arming impulse. 



27 



through commission men. . . 48 

too early 49 

Market distant 47, 48 

home 47, 48 

preparing for 48 

when to 48 

Manum, A. F Ill 

Miller, C. C 120 

'"Mysteries of Bee-keeping" 122 

"Manual of the Apiary" 122 

Natural history 11 

Nature a blind force 12 

faulty 12 

Nuclei 20 

forming 28, 29 

Newman, llios. G 4, 43, 122 

Newman, Thos. G. & Son. . . .59, 121 



13 



artificial 26 

our preferred method, 27, 28, 29 
30, 31 

Queens to breed from 27 

prolifioness of 84, 85 

cost of 84, 85 

introducing virgin 30 

danger in introducing 30 

introducing fertile 31 

Quimby, M 26,39,52, 122 

Reversible-frames 21, 85 

cuts oi 62, 86, 87, 

Reversing, advantages of 

Ruland, CM -• 123 

Root, A. 1 28, 43, -54, 64, 102, 122 

Removing bees 29 

Robbing, how encouraged 36, 37 

how to prevent 36, 37 

Register, honey 54, 64, 101 

illustrated 64 

how used 64, 65 

queen 54, 55, 64 

wood block preferable 55 

how to record • • 55 



Osborn,A- W 

Overstocking, but little known 

about , 41, 42, 

statistical reports on 42 Specialty 8, 9 

Opening hives unnecessarily, 99, 100 Supply and demand 10 

Oatman, F. J 120 Success demands, tact and in- 

Odds and Fnds 123 dustry 10 

ISyrianbees 12, 13 

Price of honey fluctuates lOiSubduing bees 17 

Physiology, bee 11 Smoking bees 18 

Pleurisy, excellent honey plant, 28iSmoke not harmful 18 

43, 44 Swarming 19 

Protectors, face 55, 69 natural objectionable 19 

illustrated. . .- 69 Swarms, natural how to manage 20 

material for 55, 69 prevention of 22, 23, 24 

convenience of 55, 69 Shipping crates, small sell best, 49 



best color for 69 

when to wear them 55 

Patents are they necessary 73 

evidence of civilization 73 

a necessity 74 



56 



.49. 56 



small, ship safer 

Smoker (see bee-smoker) 

Sections, surplus 54 

advantages of reversing 97 



128 



SUCCESS IN BEE-CULTURE. 



i ft 49 

sizes of 54, 63 

best wood for 54, 64 

all dove-tail preferred 54 

4ix4i a standard 63 

Separators 54 

Screen house 56, 65 

how made and used 56, 65 

why better than tent 56, 65 

prevents robbing 56 65 

Surplus case, cut of 77 

description of 79, 80 

how tiered up 80 

.Heddon's old '..96, 97 

new 91 

two story objectionable 96, 97 

advantages of tiering 87 

Shade for hives 101 

Shirley, W. H 110 

Spring dwindling 114 

causes of 115 

Student-apprentices 120 

Terry, T. B 8 

Temperature for green rearing, 28 
Transferring, old method 32 



modern 32, 33 

Unoccupied fields 10 

Vick, James 8 

Varieties of bees 12 

Ventilation 109, 110 

Wintering, the problem solved, 106 

in cellar 114, 115 

out door 115, 116. 117 

feeding for... . 117 

absorbents for 118 

pollen theory 107, 108. 109 

experiments in, 107, 108, 109, 111 

breeding 109 

moisture 110, HI 

ventilation .109, 110 

confinement Ill 

old bees for Ill 

hibernation 110, 112 

temperature for, 106, 108, 110, 

[112 to 118 

Worker cells 11 

Wiring tool (cut) 63, 123 

Wire for frames 63, .123 



IHSTIDIE^ TO CrEI^uE'TZEIR.S- 



PAGE 

Artificial Pasturage 43 to 44 

Adulteration 46 to 47 

Apiarian Supply Trade 49 to 52 

Apiarian Implements , 52 to 72 

Adopting Apiculture 118 to 121 

Bee-Keeping as a Business 7 to 10 

Bees on Shares 16 to 17 

Bee-Enemies ; 38 to 40 

Books and Periodicals 121 to 122 

Comb or Extracted Honey ? 44 to 45 

Fertile- Workers 33 to 34 

Feeding 34 to 36 

Hives \ 76 to 87 

Hives, New 88 to 106 

Italianizing 31 to 32 

Increase 19 to 25 

Marketing 47 to 49 

Natural History 11 to 12 

Overstocking 41 to 43 

Patents; Are They Necessary? 73 to 75 

Queen-Bearing 25 to 31 

Robbing 36 to 37 

Subduing Bees 17 to 19 

Transferring 32 to 33 

Varieties of Bees 12 to 15 

Value of Bees 16 

Wintering 106 to 118 



. 



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